This ancient heath is filled with woodlands and meadows, and surrounded by houses worth daydreaming about. But perhaps most lovely are its swimming ponds. The Ladies’ Pond is the UK’s only exclusively female wild swimming spot. There’s also a mixed pool open in summer, but the gender- specific ones are for the truly dedicated cold-water plungers. There’s a wonderful camaraderie at both, and even Christmas Day draws a crowd. A slightly eccentric slice of the city that doesn’t feel like London at all.

