Sydenham Hill

Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich Wood comprise a vast green expanse situated in semi-urban South East London. Wander into them and you forget you are still within the boundaries of a city. On a sunny Sunday, you will find the woods filled with the sound of excited children's voices and dogs meandering through the underbush.

Within the woods, you can find remnants of ancient ruins and the entrance to the disused Crescent Wood Tunnel. According to local legend, the tunnel was sealed off after several children went missing in the 1960s. The air is different by the tunnel entrance, cooler; you could picture an Agatha Christie novel set her, perhaps involving secret stairs leading up from the tunnel to the massive Beltwood House that lies on the hill above.

Sydenham Hill Station by the woods feels like it belongs in a sleepy little village, it is hard to believe that the trains departing from here take you to Brixton within 7 minutes. The station leads right into another tunnel, this one still in use. From the footbridge you can watch trains appear as tiny dots at the far end.