Barnsbury Wood is enjoyed by Londoners all year round, but it is at its most glorious in the summer months when the trees are drenched in golden sunlight.

The gardens and pergola are open to the public and are a great spot for a walk or a peaceful afternoon with a good book in hand while lying on the grass.

Birds sing while trains rumble along atop the parallel railway arches, old men play boule in the shade and planes skim overhead on approach to Heathrow.

Built back in 2010 on the site of a disused railway line, it’s a local secret: a quiet, forest-like space to retreat to when city life becomes overwhelming.

It was once the site of the Eel Pie Hotel, a 19th-century guesthouse turned jazz venue and now it’s been transformed into a hippie artists’ colony...

The Phoenix Garden is remarkably inconspicuous: a bombsite turned car park turned community garden hidden behind high hedges and wrought iron railings.