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London parks > Home page
Some of London's best known parks, such as Hyde Park,
Green Park, Regent's Park and St. James' are oases right in the heart
of London. If you have only got an hour to spare or want a place to
relax between visiting London's sights, then head here. During the summer
and good weather, you will see a large cross section of London life;
children playing football and frisbee, teenagers chilling out and chatting
with friends, office workers basking in the sun during their lunch break,
and people on holiday having picnics and just enjoying the sun. So for
your convenience, we have listed London's major green spaces below.
Hyde Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park/)
Tube: Marble Arch/Hyde Park Corner/Knightsbridge/Lancaster Gate.
Hyde Park used to be a royal hunting ground, was once a venue for duels,
executions and horse racing, and even became a giant potato field during
WWII. It is now a place of fresh air, lazy sunbathers and boaters on
the Serpentine. Features of the park include sculptures by Jacob Epstein
and Henry Moore and the Serpentine Gallery, which holds temporary exhibitions
of contemporary art. Near Marble Arch, Speaker's Corner started life
in 1872 as a response to serious riots. Every Sunday anyone with a soapbox
- or anything else to stand on - can rant or ramble on about anything
they wish to.
Regents Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/regents_park/)
Tube: Regent's Park/Baker Street.
Regent's Park was borne from the 1811 plans of John Nash, Crown Architect
and friend of the Prince Regent. To raise revenue for the Crown, he
designed a private residential estate set in parkland. From the steep
summit of Primrose Hill there are fine views of Westminster and the
City. The area, now open to the public, is mainly open parkland which
supports a wide range of facilities and amenities including gardens,
a lake with islands, a heronry and waterfowl collection, sports and
catering, children's playgrounds and the Open Air Theatre. It also contains
London Zoo and is the largest outdoor grass area for sports in Central
London.
Green Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/green_park/)
Tube: Green Park.
Green Park covers 40 acres and is an important link between St James'
Park and Hyde Park in forming a chain of open spaces that contribute
so much to life in the capital. Green Park was once a swampy burial
ground for lepers. It dates back to at least 1554, but was first enclosed
by Charles II in 1668 and stocked with deer and provided with a ranger's
house. Today, the park is a haven from all the hustle and bustle of
Piccadilly and the surrounding area.
St James's Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/st_james_park/)
Tube: St. James's Park.
St. James's Park is located in the centre of London, just off Pall Mall
with a great view of Buckingham Palace from its small bridge, especially
at night when the palace is floodlight. The park is small compared to
Hyde Park and Regent's Park, but it is probably the most beautiful and
intimate of the capital's central parks. It is an excellent place to
get away from the hustle and bustle of London's centre and to take a
stroll feeding the ducks and squirrels or simply watching the pelicans.
The park dates back to the 15th century, when the marsh land was drained
by Henry VIII to provide a deer park for St. James's Palace.
Greenwich Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/greenwich_park/)
Tube: N/A. DLR: Cutty Shark. Train: Greenwich.
Greenwich Park covers 183 acres and is the oldest enclosed Royal Park.
The park is situated on a hilltop with impressive views across the River
Thames to Docklands and the City of London, between Blackheath and the
River Thames. It provides a setting for several historic buildings,
including the Old Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College, the National
Maritime Museum and the Queen's House. The park also has concerts on
Sunday afternoons at the bandstand and Shakespeare performances in August.
Kensington Gardens (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/)
Tube: High St. Kensington/Lancaster Gate/Queensway.
Kensington Gardens is in fact an extension of Hyde Park and covers an
area of 275 acres. One of the main attractions of the garden is the
Boating Pond, where locals try out there model boats. Kensington Gardens
is an ideal place to escape from it all, as it is relatively quiet and
you can watch the thriving wildlife on a summer's evening.
Kew Gardens (http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/)
Tube: Kew Gardens.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is for garden lovers. It grows more species
in its 300 acres than any other garden in the world. You can experience
the magnificent conservatories which cover four acres and display a
wide range of plants from rainforest to desert. The world famous Palm
House, 2,248 square metres of Victorian ingenuity, majestically displays
tropical plants from around the globe with banana, coffee, breadfruit
and paw-paw, to name but a few.
Richmond Park (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/richmond_park/)
Tube: Richmond. Train: Richmond.
In some of London's open spaces you could be forgiven for thinking that
you were nowhere near one of the largest metropolises on the planet.
And this is the largest of them all; Richmond Park is in the south west
of the city and offers 2,500 acres of diverse landscape with roaming
deer and other wildlife; you can really get away from it all here, whether
on foot, bike or horseback. But from certain vantage points you will
also get great views of London. Richmond Park sits between the River
Thames and Wimbledon Common, which together provide miles and miles
of walking trails through woods, parkland and riverside paths.
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