London - London Parks guide

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London Parks

Guide to the wonderful Parks and gardens London has to offer

Hyde Park

Description At 390 acres, this is the largest park in central London. It used to belong to the church but has been a royal park since Henry VIII seized it in the 1530's. The Serpentine, a large lake in the middle for boating and bathing, was created in the 18th century, by damming the Westbourne River.

Battersea Park

Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 Telephone +44 (0)7000 286 433 A little off the main tourist trail, but this pleasant park has a number of attractions. Features include a delightful English country garden, tennis courts, running track, a deer enclosure, a boating lake, and even a small zoo.

Green Park

Laid out in 1668, Green Park is not a particularly landscaped park, but it makes a pleasant contrast to the bustle of Piccadilly. In it's past it was less serene, being the site for many a duel.

Greenwich Park

Charlton Way, London, SE10 9LZ Greenwich Park is one of those wonderful open spaces that have survived in London despite all the pressures put upon them. But Greenwich is special with its wide views over the maritime heart of the capital and its great sense of history.

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath is a great place for a stroll in the sun, a picnic or even to sail a model boat. Covering 800acres the heath now also includes a number of formerly separate properties including Kenwood House on the north edge and The Hill, a formal garden to the east.

Holland Park

This pleasant park gets its name from Sir Henry, Earl of Holland, whose wife inherited the grounds and mansion in the early 17th century. The property remained in the Holland family until 1889. Holland House was badly damaged during World War II.

Primrose Hill

Just to the north of Regent's Park, Primrose Hill offers good views of London, weather permitting. An indicator board at the top of the hill marks the position of famous buildings visible from there.

Regent's Park

Tel: +44 (0)20 7486 2431 The area covering Regent's Park was formerly a church property called Manor of Tyburn. Henry VIII took it over on the dissolution of the Monasteries. This park was created in 1812 for the Prince Regent, and the original plan was to create a private development with exclusive houses, but the full scheme was never completed.

Richmond Park

Richmond, Surrey, TW10 5HS Riverboats run to Richmond from Kew and Westminster Pier. Like so many of London's parks, Richmond Park was previously a royal hunting ground. It is still a royal park today and at almost two and a half thousand acres, it is the largest in London.

St James's Park

Situated in front of Buckingham Palace, St James's Park could be called the Queen's front garden. It was once part of Henry VIII's hunting grounds. Today, though one of the smaller royal parks, it is also one of the most attractive.