ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

2 years, 11 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy

I don't think you will be able to find a quiet park in central London. There will always be a background of air/road traffic noise. And sirens.

Maybe your best bet would be one of the little parks in the City area on a Sunday morning, one away from main thoroughfares (if such a one exists). The City area has greatly reduced activity on Sunday mornings.

2 years, 11 months ago - Alex I

There is a quiet park in Worcester Park which is 20min train ride from Waterloo. It's called Auriol Park.

2 years, 11 months ago - Robert McGowan Camera-operator-london.co.uk

Try Blythe Hill park in SE London, it’s featured in a few Ads recently and has an amazing back drop of the City and Canary Wharf.

2 years, 11 months ago - David Blakemore

I lived near Finsbury Park a couple of years ago which is near the main road but might be worth exploring. There's also Clissold Park nearby going towards Stoke Newington. There's Greenwich Park as well as Primrose hill near Camden. I don't know if there are any charges for it, or what the process is to film there. But might be worth looking at.

2 years, 11 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy

Reading the responses, seems I'm alone in knowing that "central London" traditionally and officially consists of the City of London, most of Westminster and the inner parts of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea and Wandsworth.

Moira, did you really mean the official areas of central London, or did you use the term loosely?

As for noise, your acceptable level of environmental noise is going to differ from other people's when filming. If you are filming an interview, a background of urban noise might be more acceptable than if you were shooting drama. I shot drama in Abney Park in Stoke Newington once, on a Sunday, and had to ADR all the dialogue due to road/air traffic noise, and sirens. Same with shooting in my back garden in SE3.

Living in SE3 myself, I can assure you that Greenwich Park and Blythe Park are not free from air traffic noise. One of the main Heathrow approach paths goes right overhead, with planes passing over at an altitude of, typically, 3000-5000ft. And Greenwich Park suffers from road traffic noise - during the day, the A2, which passes nearby, can throw out a lot of noise, including police sirens. And sometimes the army exercises dozens of horses near the park, with a lot of clip-clopping.

As with all the Royal Parks, Greenwich Park officially requires a paid permit for filming, but you might get away with something low-key so long as you don't do it near the Observatory – they are a bit fussy about having the Observatory shown if you are not paying for the privilege. I know that from experience, having been told to move on once, even though there were just two of us. If they spot professional looking kit – proper tripods, et cetera - they may well swoop. But I have got away with it in other parts of the park without first getting a permit – maybe I just wasn't spotted at the other locations?

2 years, 11 months ago - Xenia Glen

Hi Moira,

I'd recommend Streatham Common or Walthamstow Marshes. They aren't too central, but they are easy to get to and have good parking spots and nearby facilities. I'm not actually sure if they count as parks... But they have lots of green space, benches, and when I've filmed there they've been pretty empty and quiet.

Good luck!