From the ruins of an abbey to landscaped gardens – here are five of the best picnicking spots in south east London.

With the weather heating up here in the UK, there will be plenty of people preparing to enjoy a picnic in the sunshine.

South east London has many beautiful parks, gardens and green spaces to choose from when it comes to a great picnicking spot.

Today we’ve rounded up five of the best picnicking spots in south east London to visit:

Greenwich Park

This Is Local London: Greenwich ParkGreenwich Park (Image: Graham Dear)

Nothing beats a picnic with a great view and Greenwich Park offers some of the best of them.

Take a picnic to the top of the hill outside the Greenwich Observatory to see great views of the London skyline, where you’ll be able to spot landmarks like the Thames, the Shard and the London Eye.

Eltham Palace and Gardens

This Is Local London: Lesnes AbbeyLesnes Abbey (Image: London Borough of Bexley)

Located a short walk from Eltham High Street, Eltham Palace offers lots of places to picnic from landscaped gardens to woodland areas.

Owned by English Heritage, Eltham Palace once hosted English monarchs like Henry VIII and later became the decadent home of millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld in 1933.

The moat is a prime spot for picnicking, to spot wildlife, and to lay back and relax on the bank.

See views of the castle from the bridge, with views of the moat around the castle, and don’t forget to pay a visit to the Great Hall which was first built in the 1470s.

Down House and Gardens

This Is Local London: English Heritage English Heritage (Image: English Heritage)

Located in Downe in the Borough of Bromley, Down House and Gardens was the former home of naturalist and author Charles Darwin.

The grounds offer a designated picnicking area for guests near the Tennis Court, to ensure that other areas of conservation on the site are protected.

The gardens itself have so much to offer including Mrs Darwin’s kitchen garden, a meadow area and plenty of woodlands to explore.

Today you can also still see several of the experiments on the grounds that Darwin conducted during his years there, as well as the greenhouse Darwin used, containing various types of plants.

Hall Place, Bexley

This Is Local London: Hall Place Hall Place (Image: London Borough of Bexley)

If you want to have a picnic in a place that feels like a set from an Alice in Wonderland production, then Hall Place in Bexley is for you.

With its animal-shaped topiary trees dating back to the 1950s and its Tudor house, these gardens have so much to offer for a day out.

The grounds have lots to see and do including several different gardens, a butterfly house, a bird hide, the garden lake, a miniature railway and a hot house growing tropical fruits.

Lesnes Abbey

This Is Local London: Lesnes AbbeyLesnes Abbey (Image: London Borough of Bexley)

Located in Abbey Wood, the ruins of Lesnes Abbey is what remains of the former abbey dating back to 1178 and is now a Grade II listed monument.

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The abbey is surrounded by woodland and the Monks Garden, which still contains many of the plants that monks would have used to treat the sick.

There are plenty of places to enjoy a picnic around the abbey, like the nearby Conduit Pond which is an ancient source of fresh water.