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Royal Parks
Official Web Site |
A Jogger In Kensington Gardens |
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Millions
of Londoners and tourists visit the Royal Parks for free each year.
Centuries ago when kings were absolute rulers and hunting was the
main sport these parks were mostly the hunting grounds of people
like Henry VIII.
Its hard to believe nowadays that in those days Hyde Park for instance
was in the country, outside the dense urban areas of London.
Today the three main central parks are open to the public free of
charge.
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The
three main Central London parks are Regent's Park, Hyde Park and St
James's Park. For simplicity purposes we have included Primrose Hill,
Kensington Gardens and Green Park within the parks in the previous
sentence.
The Royal Parks do a good job. As well as stocking the parks with
plants and wildlife there is an endless stream of events and sports
you can partake in.
They are all very accessible to the main sights and a great place
to have a quiet sandwich during the day as a break from the serious
work of sightseeing or shopping.
Because of their royal history you'll also find a lot of history in
the parks and some of the pomp and ceremony still carries on today. |
Typical
Serpentine Scene |
In
terms of recreation all the three main parks have lakes with Regents
Park and Hyde Park having boats for hire.
All are well stocked with birds and visitors don't let them go hungry.
Of course jogging is a natural activity enjoyed by many, but in Hyde
Park there is a stables you can hire horses and you can set up an
impromptu game of soccer at any time.
Concerts and theatre happen frequently, especially during the summer
months. Hyde Park, the largest park tends to host the big events from
major concerts to fun runs, whilst Regents Park has an intimate outdoor
theatre.
St James's Park hosts a lot of formal events, including of course
the daily Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. |
In Kensington
Gardens at the western end of Hyde Park is Kensington Palace, the
former home of Princess Diana
A seven-mile commemorative walk crosses St James's Park, Green Park,
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. From the walk visitors can see three
palaces and two mansions which figured in the life of the Princess:
Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, St James's Palace,
and Spencer House, the one time London house of the Spencer family.
For more details of each individual park link to their pages from
the menu above and also link to the official pages to see what events
are happening during your visit to London.
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Princess
Diana Memorial Fountain |
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