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Start by the London Eye and walk along the South Bank downstream to London Bridge and the Design Museum beyond Butler’s Wharf. This stretch of the Thames Path has enough to distract you all day.

It’s possible to walk along the whole 14-km (8.5-mile) canal from Paddington to Limehouse. The most accessible part lies between Camden Lock and Regent’s Park, where grand houses back on to the water. Further on, in Little Venice, moored “narrowboats” are owned by the wealthy.

Richmond has a lovely aspect on the River Thames. Apart from its royal parkthere is a lot to see and do, with riverside pubs and cafés, and boats to rent. It’s a half-hour walk along the towpath to the 17th-century Ham House, owned by the National Trust. In summer you can take a ferry across to Marble Hill House in Twickenham.

This green grandstand overlooking the city covers 8 sq km (3 sq miles) and is a rural mix of meadows, woods, lakes and ponds for both swimming and fishing. Head off in any direction, and make the Spaniards Inn or Kenwood House a stopping-off point.

Central London’s largest green area can tire out any walker. It takes about an hour and a half to walk around, but there are plenty of diversions, from the Serpentine Gallery, to cafés, fountains and flower gardens.

This lively park is not just for children. It has a pleasant riverside promenade beside a Buddhist Peace Pagoda, lakeside walks and the Festival Gardens.

It is easy to get lost in this wild public space. Start by the Windmill and go down to Queens Mere Pond or stride out along the cinder horse track to the pine copse of Caesar’s Camp, an old Iron Age hill fort.

This treeless expanse, enjoyed by kite flyers, lies behind Greenwich Park. Donkey rides can be taken around the edge, and on the far side is Blackheath Village.

London’s major bird sanctuary covers 105 acres in four disused Victorian reservoirs. It has trails, a visitor centre and an observatory where you can spot some of the 130 species which come here.

Filled with grand tombs, many of the rich and famous, this is the best of London’s cemeteries. The living have to pay to get in, too, and the cemetery is divided into eastern and western halves, the latter visitable only with a tour.