Famous St. James Park (St. James Park) is surrounded by the most influential buildings in London: St. James Palace to the north and Buckingham Palace to the west.

In addition, it is a very picturesque place – beautiful trees, a pond and a large number of fattened squirrels and various birds.
In the XIII century in the swampy area on the site of the modern park there was a leprosarium named after St. James, after whom the nearby woods were named – the hunting grounds of Henry VIII. It was Henry who ordered the construction of St James’s Palace, which still exists today.

The modern image of the park

St. James Park is famous for its wonderful lake full of all sorts of wildlife, from ducks to pelicans. The pelicans appeared here at the court of Charles II, who received them from the Russian ambassador in 1684. And you can see up to 30 bird species in the park – you can read about them on bird boards.

The lake is not deep, about 1.5 meters, but of course it is forbidden to swim there, and getting close to the water is a territory of birds. But you can admire the beautiful views from the bridge in the center of the park.

From here you can see the lake, the two islands in it – one of which is named “Duck” – and the roofs of the buildings surrounding the park. This bridge over the lake was built in 1950 to replace the metal suspension bridge. And the islet is named Duck Island because it once housed the caretaker’s bird house.

The park is very beautiful – tall trees with strong trunks, green lawn, original flowerbeds with climbing plants and flowers, well-kept shrubs, fountains and numerous benches to rest on.

But do not forget that in Britain you can sit on the lawns, so when the weather is nice you can see Londoners and visitors soaking in the sun everywhere.

One thing you can’t do in St James Park is ride a bike. The paths are for pedestrians only, so cycling enthusiasts have to choose another park – Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens or Regent’s Park.

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It’s a very clean and green place, to be exact – a public park, laid out in 1830 and opened by the then very young Princess Victoria. The park covers a fairly large area – almost 23 hectares. It was created for the recreation of the citizens, so a large part of the park is a beautiful alleys, lawns and flower beds of all kinds. There are comfortable benches and playgrounds for children.

Quite a large part of the park is occupied by sports fields. There’s a mini-golf area, tennis courts, bowling alleys, and skateboarding devices. As befits a Victorian park, there’s also a pond – you can rent a boat and float on it.

Part of the park is a botanical garden. You’ll find several interesting collections here, including the country’s finest collection of sandstone plants and an extensive collection of cypresses. The garden is large – it occupies about one-sixth of the space.

Victorian-style buildings have been erected among the flowerbeds and alleys. It doesn’t usually get too noisy, so for a day out, it’s the place to be. There are a lot of activities in the park, especially for children. And Victorian romance buffs should also come here because there’s so much to see and do.

The park has a stage for open-air concerts, in the summer there is a pretty good program – from classics to rock festivals, there are plays and movies.

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Not far from the center of the park is an entire forest, which is why Hampstead Heath is so much fun to walk in. In this park you can not just relax, but also do active sports. For example, paths are made for cyclists and athletes, as well as fields for croquet and tennis. If you have a license, you can fish in the local ponds.

The park combines hardwood forests and wilderness. There are also many sports fields, ponds equipped for swimming, a zoo, and a children’s educational center. There are fifty sites on Hampstead Heath land that have archaeological and historical value. Among these sites are a seventeenth-century manor house and a nineteenth-century residence.
Hedgehogs, stag beetles, small spotted woodpeckers, foxes, bullfinches, beetles, and a muntjac deer can be found on the park’s trails.

Because of the expanse, Hampstead Heath often hosts sporting events and outdoor games. There is also entertainment for children. Eight children’s playgrounds are located within this park. The educational center is famous for the fact that lessons on flora, geography, fauna and history are not only in classrooms, but also in the clean air.
Walking through this park, you can also check out Golders Hill. It has amazing water gardens buried in the greenery of exotic plants. This park has a free zoo, whose inhabitants each year is becoming more and more.

A place like Hampstead Heath is great for people who need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Hampstead Heath in London photo EnglandThe park is always kept perfectly clean and orderly. There are three ponds in the park, and all three are suitable for swimming all year round. Throughout the year, you can swim in any of them to choose from. Hampstead Heath Park also has an outdoor swimming pool called the Lido.

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All the royal parks are managed by a special agency – The Royal Parks. London residents and tourists can use the parks for recreational purposes such as relaxing and walking, but they have no right to break the established order.

Hyde Park stands out among the rest by the fact that since ancient times there have been various rallies (there is even a specially designated place called “Speakers’ Corner”) and holidays. Now it is quite a popular and favorite recreation place for London residents.

Hyde Park Attractions in London

Speakers Corner

This is probably the main attraction of the park. It appeared in 1872. Anyone could take the floor on an improvised podium and freely express his thoughts. Sometimes not only workers, but also famous people, such as Karl Marx and George Orwell became orators. By the way, long before these events there was a gallows where the death penalty was carried out. Convicts were given the last word, allowed to say whatever they wanted.

To this day, Orators’ Corner is a symbol of freedom and the struggle for one’s rights. Even now, the place is practically never empty: someone is bound to take the floor here. There are a few interesting points: it is forbidden to insult the Queen, blaspheme, call for violence; the speaker must stand on a chair, box or other object and only then begin to speak (it is forbidden to swear while standing with your feet on the kings land).

Wellington’s Arch

The Arch was erected in 1830 to commemorate the victory of troops led by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. It was first established in Green Park (the smallest of London’s Royal Parks), then moved to Hyde Park because of road widening.

The arch was designed by architect Decimus Burton to feature a bronze horse and several small sculptures. However, it was adorned with a sculpture of the Duke of Wellington. Decimus disliked it so much that he offered a large sum for the demolition of his own brainchild. He did not succeed in carrying it out. The arch stood in this form for more than a decade. In 1912, instead of the sculpture of Wellington, a chariot appeared there, drawn by four horses, ruled by an angel with a crown of victory in his hand.

Statue of Achilles

The largest statue in Hyde Park. It was created to commemorate the victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. The statue is cast from the cannons taken from the battlefield. Installed the statue in 1822.

Apsley House

At the southeastern end of Hyde Park is the residence of the Dukes of Wellington. It is one of London’s most famous houses. Apsley House was built between 1771 and 1778. Now the northern part of the building is closed to the public, and in the other half is the Arthur Wellington Museum (there is a rich collection of paintings).

Princess Diana Memorial Complex

This monument opened in Hyde Park in 2004. The fountain was designed by the world-famous artist and landscape designer Catherine Gustafson. The shape of the fountain is unusual, like a bowl: one trough the water flows slowly, symbolizing a calm and bright period in the life of Diana, the other – swiftly, like a mountain stream, recalling the difficult trial of the princess and her death.

Lake Serpentine

In English “serpentine” means snake. The lake did not get such a name by accident. In shape, it really resembles a writhing snake. This irregular shape (oblong, with uneven banks) was specially given to the lake to make it seem more natural.

There is a very sad story connected with this lake: in 1816 the pregnant wife of famous poet Percy Bisha Shelley drowned there.

Serpentine Gallery

The gallery is located in central London, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. All the exhibits are works of art of the 20th and 21st centuries. At various times it has hosted exhibitions of Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley, Jeff Koons and other famous artists, photographers, designers and sculptors.

Pet cemetery.

It’s true: there is a pet cemetery in Hyde Park. It is now, of course, inactive. Only slabs dating back to the 19th century remain there. In 1881 the curator of the park decided to bury on the request of a head of a London family, their beloved dog Charlie. The place was chosen secluded. However such a small memorial did not go unnoticed and soon there were several more tombstones in the cemetery. Representatives of noble families buried their favorites here. In total there are about 300 burials. In 1903, the cemetery was closed.

In Hyde Park you can see some more interesting art objects and sculptures. Admission to one of the most famous Royal Parks is free. The gates open daily at 5 a.m. and close at midnight.

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Regent’s Park is a beautiful park complex in central London. It includes many areas for active recreation and sports. The area of the park is 188 hectares.

Regent’s Park used to be called Marylebone Park and, like many other royal parks, was once a royal hunting reserve. Here in the 16th century Henry VIII hunted deer, but then the park was used until the 19th century, first as a source of timber, then as land for fields and vegetable gardens. The situation changed in the early 19th century, when King George III became seriously ill and his son became regent. He wanted a new palace for himself and, accordingly, a new park. The realization of the project was entrusted to the famous architect John Nash, who called the new park – Regent’s park. The new attraction was finished in 1835, and only ten years later the entrance was made free for all Londoners. Since then, new buildings and places of interest have appeared in the park, but its layout has remained the original – a complex system of rings connected by vectors of alleys.

The area of the park is about two hundred hectares. Most of it is devoted to sectors-flowers, which are called gardens. They are separated from each other by internal gilded gates. The most beautiful of these is the garden of Queen Mary, or the garden of the roses. It was laid out in 1932. Here grows more than thirty thousand roses of four hundred varieties. Many of them belong to the climbing varieties, and special supports were made precisely in order to be wrapped around the shoots of roses and form not only horizontal but also vertical rose garden. In the garden of Queen Mary a wonderful strong fragrance of roses, which combines the most subtle shades of scents of rare varieties, is constantly fragrant. By the way, all varieties of roses are marked with plaques with their names.

In Regent’s Park is located the central London mosque, from a distance its building looks like a water tower. So do not be surprised to meet here and there in the park people in Muslim clothes and with a Koran in their hands – they are worshippers of the mosque, which can accommodate five thousand people.

Finally if you just want to sit in the grass and enjoy the view then head to the north of Regent’s Park, to Primrose Hill. It’s a hill where Londoners like to picnic because of its large open, sunny spaces. There’s also a large playground.

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