London Parks

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the largest and most historic parks in the city, at over 350 acres you leave the noise and smell of the traffic far behind as you wander around this green oasis.

The park has many areas of special interest such as Speakers' Corner, where for over a hundred years some of the finest politicians, theologians and even a few revolutionaries have been heard shouting and preaching their gospel. Every Sunday you can go down and listen to amazing characters spouting opinions of the day and arguing with the hecklers.

In the middle of the park, sits the serene man-made Serpentine Lake, on which you can boat or even swim during the summer. There are also several cafes where you can relax and enjoy the stunning views across the lake or different areas of the park.

Near the Serpentine is an area set aside for the Princess Diana memorial, an iconic fountain of unusual design and just across the bridge is the Serpentine art gallery. Hyde Park is the perfect place to spend a summer’s day enjoying the scenery and wildlife, there are also numerous events staged throughout the year, from guided walks to live music performances.

For more information about Hyde Park go to the Royal Parks website.

Regent's Park

There a few better places to spend the day than in Regent's Park, at 410 acres it encompasses two theatres, tennis courts, a boating lake and London Zoo. As well as the fine cafés, restaurants and sports facilities there are colourful rose gardens and wonderful architecture to enjoy or you can hire a boat and take a turn around the lake.

London Zoo of course needs little introduction, being one of the world’s great zoos. It’s currently undergoing some refurbishments which include a new gorilla enclosure, so by Easter 2007 the zoo will be even better. The introduction of an open-air theatre has been a great success drawing hundreds of people during the summer months to al fresco performances of Shakespeare and stand-up comedy.

The real appeal of this park though is the wonderful landscaping, beautiful flowers and stunning architecture. The park was designed by the talented architect John Nash in 1811, to strike a delicate balance between the natural and the artificial. The carefully crafted villas melt into the woodland landscape and the rose gardens are bordered by neat lawns and curving pathways, which is all drawn together by an underlying symmetry.  

For more information about Regent's Park go to the Royal Parks website.     

St James' Park

St James’ Park will be familiar to many who have taken an interest in any of the annual royal ceremonies, such as Trooping the Colour, as it encompasses The Mall.  The park is bordered by three palaces, Buckingham, St James’ and Westminster (now the Houses of Parliament), and is the oldest of the Royal Parks. The park is teeming with wildlife and is particularly densely inhabited by birds; you can see everything from giant geese to pelicans. The park also has some of the tamest wild animals you’ll ever encounter; as you walk around you’ll see pigeons perched on people’s arms to feed and squirrels rushing up to take food from people’s hands.

For more information about St James' Park go to the Royal Parks website.

Hampstead Heath

Only a few miles from the centre of London, Hampstead Heath is a huge green area of nearly 800 acres, that attracts hundreds of Londoners and tourists. The heath includes one of the most spectacular vantage points in London, Parliament Hill, which offers sweeping views across London and beyond.

In the summer the heath becomes a hive of activity with numerous sporting activities, from cycling, cricket and swimming in the Lido, to open air music events at Parliament Hill and Kenwood House.