Strolling in the Royal Parks of London

The capital of England, London is a cosmopolitan urban city and is known for its natural green spaces. There are eight Royal Parks that are referred to as the lungs of London.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park has a large lake, a meadow, and beautiful ornamental gardens and is one of the best city parks in the world. Hyde Park has plenty of shade with more than 4,000 trees. Everyone visiting this park can find something to enjoy whether it is just taking a stroll, picnicking, cycling, skating, or boating. There are areas for team games, tennis courts, horseback riding paths, and a playground for children.

In 1536 King Henry VIII took Hyde Park from the Westminster Abbey monks and used it as a hunting ground. Then, King Charles I in 1637 opened the park to the public.

Among Hyde Park’s special features are:

The Serpentine is a large artificial lake at the south end of the park which stretches toward the north and into Kensington Gardens where it is known as Long Water. The lake is used for both swimming and boating.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain is located to the southwest. This circular fountain consists of 545 pieces of Cornish granite. Water flows on two sides at the top into a small pool at the bottom.

Without having to do with anything rotten there is Rotten Row at the south end of Hyde Park which is a well-known bridle path. The path is also used for jogging. The name of the path was derived from the French "route du roi" or King's Road.

In the 19th century, Speaker's Corner became a popular place to hold meetings. If you are in the park on Sundays you might see a person stand on top of a soapbox here and tell everyone what he or she thinks of certain subjects like politics.

The Marble Arch at the northeast corner of the park was originally a gateway to Buckingham Palace in 1827 and moved to Hyde Park in 1851.

To the east of the arch are a series of fountains installed in 1961. Between the fountains and the arch are two huge statues:

Still Water depicts a huge head of a horse more than ten meters tall created by British sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green.

Beside it is an equestrian statue that was made to honor Genghis Khan the legendary Mongolian warrior. This statue was created by Russian sculptor Dashi Namdakov.

Achilles Statue is the largest statue in Hyde Park and was created to honor the Duke of Wellington in 1822. The Duke scored a victory over Napoleon's army at Waterloo. It is made of bronze from the cannons captured from the French. The statue was created by British sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott.

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens is part of the Royal Parks of London and was once the private garden that belonged to Kensington Palace. The western section of Hyde Park was used to create Kensington Gardens.

When Serpentine Lake from Hyde Park becomes part of Kensington Gardens it is known as The Long Water. This part of the park is known as the Italian Garden where you can find four fountains and some classical sculptures. Along the lake is a wildlife area that is a designated bird sanctuary with many breeding waterfowl.

As you walk through the park you'll come to the Round Pond with two wooden war memorial shelters.

There is also a marble statue of Queen Victoria created by her daughter Princess Louise.

The Serpentine Bridge marks the boundary between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. These gardens are fenced and are open to the public only during the daytime. In the book ”Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens” by J. M. Barrie this park serves as the setting for Peter’s adventures before he went to Neverland. Within the park is the Peter Pan statue.

The park is also featured in another book called ”Kensington Gardens” by Rodrigo Fresan in which you can read about the life of J.M. Barrie and his character Peter Pan and the relationship they have with this park. It is also featured in a game called ”Trinity” by Infocom Interactive in which players can walk about sections of the park.

A really special place in Kensington Gardens is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground which was erected on the site of the Peter Pan children’s playground. The playground was created more elaborately than the previous one and also with the Peter Pan theme. One prominent feature is a large, wooden pirate ship on which children can climb and surrounding it is sand in which children can play. There are also swings and slides. For children with disabilities, there is a special area that has fragrant plants and sound features (for visual disabilities). This playground is meant to encourage children to play using their imaginations and sense of adventure. Who knows? Perhaps some children manage to create a Neverland of their own here.

If after play you want to eat right next to the playground is the Broadwalk Cafe and Playcafe which serves such delicious food like flatbread pizza, great salads, wraps and sweet things. To drink there are sodas and low-fat yoghurt sundaes. The Playcafe features a children’s menu.

There are also seasonal kiosks in the park for refreshments. If one wishes they can view the State Apartments in Kensington Palace which are open to the public and the Serpentine Gallery offers free exhibitions.

Richmond Park

The largest of the Royal Parks is Richmond Park. It includes a National Nature Reserve and a European Special Area of Conservation. Within the park are 650 deer.

The park offers two golf courses, horseback riding paths and a path for cycling. There are playgrounds for children.

You can enjoy relaxing and eating at Pembroke Lodge, a Georgian mansion. Other places offering refreshments include Roehampton Cafe and refreshment kiosks. The park gates are open to motor traffic with speeds only up to 20 mph.

King Henry's Mound is the highest point in the park and is located in the Pembroke Lodge public garden. It was named after Henry VIII of England.

In a spot known as Poet's Garden located at the north end of the garden at Pembroke Lodge, there is a metal bench inscribed with the poetic lines that were written by James Thomson, an 18th-century Scottish poet.

A "musical bench" was added to Poet's Corner in 2002 the Drury Memorial Seat to honor Ian Drury a British singer and songwriter. Visitors can sit on the bench, plug in and listen to an interview with Drury and eight of his songs.

Isabella Plantation is an ornamental woodland garden that has been fenced to keep out the deer in the park.

Pen Ponds is a lake divided by a causeway and home to waterfowl.

Holly Lodge includes the Holly Lodge Centre to enhance the education of visitors, particularly those with special needs, offering the Victorian history and heritage information of Richmond Park.

Among the other wild animals in the park are squirrels, rabbits, snakes, frogs, toads, stag beetles, and woodpeckers. There are around 30 ponds in the park but the place that deer and the smaller animals prefer is Beverly Brook where there are water grasses and water lilies.

Bushy Park

Bushy Park is the second largest of the Royal Parks and lies to the north side of Hampton Court Palace.

There are about 320 deer roaming in the park. Visitors can go cycling on the roads and horseback riding on the rough grass areas. There are playgrounds for children and hot and cold snacks are available at a cafe.

The Longford River, a 19-kilometre canal is within Bushy Park. The canal was built for Charles I of England to provide water for Hampton Court. The park also has several ponds.

Small populations of Water Voles can be found along the Longford River. These are delightful creatures and for those who remember the wonderful children’s book “Wind In The Willows” “Ratty” was a Water Vole. You might also see rabbits, mice, shrews and hedgehogs. In the trees, bats have found their homes.

Chestnut Avenue is the main roadway in the park running from Park Road in Teddington to the Lion Gate entrance to Hampton Court Palace. From the mid-19th century up to WW II, everyone in London came to Bushy Park to celebrate Chestnut Sunday when the chestnut trees along the avenue were in bloom.

Visitors walking along Chestnut Avenue enjoy seeing the famous Arethusa ” Diana” Fountain surrounded by a pool.

Besides chestnut trees, the park is one of the best sites in London for mistletoe.

Upper Lodge Water Gardens has pathways for walking and viewing the cascading water.

Several sports clubs are located in the park. There are ponds for model boating and fishing. You can find formal tree plantations, wildlife conservation areas and Red and Fallow deer herds.

St. James’s Park

St. James's Park is surrounded by famous London landmarks on all four sides.

St. James's Palace on the north side of the park was built by King Henry VIII in the 1530s. It was home to monarchs including Elizabeth I, Charles I, and George I, II, and III. At one time the palace was a medieval leper hospital. Today it is used for occasions of the State, weddings, and receptions.

The Mall is a red-brick road that goes to Buckingham Palace. It is the grand processional route from the palace to the Admiralty Arch. Along this road, the Queen rides in her golden carriage waving to crowds during State occasions.

The Horse Guard's Parade and Admiralty House is on the east side of St. James's Park. The Parade is a large open space with one side next to the park and the other entering into Whitehall where two cavalrymen stand at guard.

Visitors can take a relaxing walk on the south side from Parliament Square to the Royal Mews. On the west side of the park is Buckingham Palace with the Queen Victoria Memorial. Parliament Square is in the heart of Westminster and is bordered by Big Ben, the Parliament Houses, and Westminster Abbey.

There are statues of Prime Minister Churchill

and Abraham Lincoln.

The Royal Mews are working horse stables with about thirty horses.

Buckingham Palace was built in 1702 and has 661 rooms. Tourists can see 19 rooms.

St. James's Park is the oldest of the Royal Parks. It was built in 1536 by Henry VIII. King James I set up the formal gardens that include a small zoo and an aviary.

The park is known for its birds. At Duck Island, you can see flamingos, pelicans, gulls, ducks, and geese and take a walk along Birdcage Walk.

The Green Park

The Green Park is located in the City of Westminster in central London, England between Hyde Park and St. James’s Park..

Unlike the other parks, Green Park has no lakes, buildings or playgrounds. It does have a few monuments – commemorating the members of the Canadian Forces killed during WW I and WW II is the Canada Memorial, the Diana Fountain and the RAF Bomber Command Memorial.

The flowers found within the park are naturalized narcissus and there are trees all around.

Constitution Hill, Queen’s Walk and Piccadilly Circus are located along the park.

The park meets up with St. James’s Park at Queen’s Gardens where at the center you’ll find the Victoria Memorial, opposite the entrance to Buckingham Palace.

To the south is the ceremonial avenue of the Mall and the buildings of St. James’s Palace and Clarence House stand overlooking the park to the east.

Green Park Tube Station is a major interchange and the Tube runs beneath Green Park.

The Regent’s Park

The Regent’s Park has 410 acres and was designed by architect John Nash in 1811. It is a lovely park with rose gardens. Within the park, there are bird species and waterfowl.

The Open Air Theater hosts performances from May to September. You can go boating on the Boating Lake. For refreshments, there are several cafes - The Garden Cafe, The Honest Sausage, The Boathouse Cafe, and the Tennis Centre Cafe.

From Primrose Hill, you can get spectacular views of central London.

The Regent’s Park has a very interesting design as it has an outer ring road which is known as the Outer Circle and an inner ring road known as the Inner Circle. To the south of the Inner Circle, you will find Regent’s College.

Regent's Canal is located in the northern part of the park and connects with the Grand Union Canal and the former London Docks.

The Triton Fountain consists of a group of bronze sculptures depicting the sea god Triton blowing into a conch shell with two mermaids at his feet.

The Boy and Frog Statue is located in Queen Mary's Garden.

The world's oldest scientific zoo the London Zoo is located in Regent's Park and opened in 1828. Today the zoo is home to 755 animal species and has one of the largest animal collections in the UK

At the zoo, you can commune with tigers, lemurs, pygmy hippos and even penguins. Explore exciting things like The Land of the Lions, Gorilla Kingdom and Tiger Territory among many others.

The terraces in the park were all designed by architect John Nash. Within Regent’s Park, nine villas were built. Among the ones still standing is Grove House which at present is a private residence. This house can boast about having one of the largest gardens in central London right after Buckingham Palace its garden stretches along the edge of Regent’s Canal.

There are some buildings around the Inner Circle. St. John’s Lodge which is a private residence owned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei and a part of its garden has become a public garden to be enjoyed by everyone.

The Holme also a private residence opens its garden several times a year. Regent’s College is considered one of the two largest building groups in the park alongside London Zoo and it also has its campus in the Inner Circle.

The Regent’s Park is also associated with books and films. In Walt Disney’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” the Dalmatians Pongo and Perdy lived with their humans near Regent’s Park and that is where they would all go for walks.

In the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, there is mention of the M16 headquarters being located near The Regent’s Park.

Even Harry Potter got into the action. In the movie” Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” when Harry celebrated his cousin’s birthday at the London Zoo.

So if you happen to be touring London and want to get a nice view of the Regent’s Park do take a walk to The Queens at 49 Regents Park Road. This two-storey restaurant has a pub downstairs and a fabulous dining room upstairs from which you can see amazing views over Primrose Hill.

Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill is a Grade II listed public park that is located north of Regent's Park and opened to the public in 1842. It is named after the natural hill located in the center of the park which is the second-highest natural point in the Borough of Camden.

Within the park, you'll find an outdoor gym called the Hill Trim Trail and a playground for children.

On the south side of the park is Primrose Hill Bridge connecting to the London Zoo and Regent's Park.