Battersea Park and Children's Zoo

With its riverside promenade, Henry Moore sculptures and Peace Pagoda, erected by a set of Japanese Buddhists to commemorate Hiroshima Day, this park's tranquillity belies a bloody past. It was once the site of an assassination attempt on King Charles II in 1671 and of a duel in 1829 between the Duke of Wellington and an opponent who accused him of treason. A recent refurbishment has seen the 19th-century landscaping reinstated and the grand riverside terraces spruced up. At the same time, the Festival of Britain pleasure gardens, including the spectacular Vista Fountains, have been restored. There are lakes, plenty of sporting facilities, an art space called the Pump House Gallery (www.wandsworth.gov.uk/gallery) and a small Children's Zoo (www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk).