London’s gardens

and green spots

~Table of content

Introduction
Hyde Park and Kensington
Gardens
St. James’s Park
Regent’s Park
Queen’s Park
Top London Gardens

Sources:
Visting London
http://www.visitlondon.com
 London’s
It is absolutely impossible to visit London
Green spots
without noticing its large green spots-
parks,gardens and open areas-oasis of
tranquility in the midst of the buildings
and traffic.These peaceful spaces are
heavens of beauty for the lovers of
nature or for anyone else who wants to
relax,contemplate,admire and enjoy
the sights and sounds of nature.Mature
trees,grassy lands,shrubberies,sparkling
rivers and fascinating lakes provide a
rich habitat for an amazing array of
wildlife.The richness and variety of the
living things,starting with the little
ones(butterflies and bees) and finishing
with the big ones (foxes and deer) are a
vital part of a healthy environment.The
biodiversity is to be found in any park of
the bustling city,to the delight of the
one who is having a stroll or crossing
London on foot in a hurry.
 The Twins: Hyde Park and
Kensington Gardens

 Hyde Park shares a common history

with Kensigton Gardens,as they were
once one and the same place.
 Before King Henry VIII enclosed Hyde
Park as a hunting-chase,the place
was a vast area of
countryside.Created to satisfy a royal
passion for hunting,the park was
opened to the public in 1637.
 The Serpentine was one of the
artificial lakes in the country designed
to look natural .An ideal spot for
water activities today(sailing,boating
or swimming) the Serpentine and the
Long Water separate Hyde Park from
Kensington Gardens.
 Home of a recently built monument-
the Memorial Fountain to
Diana,Princess of Wales,Hyde Park
also houses an old area where public
speaking was and is still allowed.It is
known as ‘Speaker’s Corner’.
 Who would have ever thought that
once a wild area ,the land would
years later turn into a peaceful
park,where people can relax,enjoy
the atmosphere,famous singers of the
world can give open-area
concerts,and Royal Gun Salutes can
be fired (on certain official
occasions).
 The Twins: Hyde Park and
Kensington Gardens

 Kensington Gardens,once twins of

Hyde Park, and then private gardens
of Kensington Palace (Queen
Victoria’s birthplace), are now a
delightful refuge from the hurried
life.Popular for picnics, sunbathing,
jogging or cycling, the Gardens
make you forget that you are in a
noisy capital.
 Shaped mainly during George II the
Gardens were often used as the best
setting for various films.The elegant
avenues and the fine architecture of
the gardens made the area a perfect
location for Hollywood stars at work.
 Slowly but surely,the Gardens also
became a place of
remembrance.Different monuments
and statues erected to honour great
people(explorers,inventors) and their
unique achievements enhance the
beauty of the landscape.
 A children’s Playground recently
opened in the memory of
Diana,Princess of Wales, attracts lots
of young visitors.Many carved pixies
here frolic alongside the statue of
Peter Pan who is standing on a
pedestal covered with climbing
squirrels, rabbits and mice.
 St. James’s Park
 Other green oasis is St. James’s
Park.Thanks to the efforts of Henry VIII,
who converted the area into a deer
park, St. James’s Park became a royal
park, probably the oldest in London.
 Dramatic changes of the land were
made during King Charles II, who
wanted the park redesigned, with long
avenues of trees planted and lawn laid.A
tradition started at that time is still at work
nowadays.In 1664, Charles II, who was an
outgoing person and often walked in the
park and fed the ducks there,received a
pair of pelicans as a gift from a Russian
ambassador.Today pelicans are still
offered to the park by foreign
ambassadors.Together with ducks, geese
and swans, they are one of the most
popular sights of the park.
 During George IV the park underwent a
lot of changes –the canal became a
lovely lake and the remodelled gardens
enhaced the natural beauty of the park.
 A meeting place, a relaxing land for bird
watching or feeding grey squirrels,the
romantic park at the very heart of
London became the special setting for
many ceremonial parades and events of
national celebrations.A popular location
for various social and cultural activities,
St. James’s Park turned into a real
landmark of the enthralling city.
 Regent’s Park

 Another green spot in London,

Regent’s Park,was also once part of
Henry VIII’s hunting forest.In 1812,the
same architect who transformed St.
James’s Park into the present design,
John Nash worked under the
direction of the Prince Regent to
develop the land into a large area for
sports and entertainment.
 Regent’s Park nicknamed ‘The Jewel
in the Crown’ ,contains the London
Zoo, the Regent’s Canal, an open-air
theatre, a boating lake, and many
cafes and restaurants.
 Among many other green tracts in
London, one is worth mentioning as it
is both a park and a scientific
institution – the Royal Botanic
Gardens at Kew.Badly damaged by
a hurricane in 1987,the Gardens
provide 121 hectares of exotic plants
and trees from all over the world.
 Ideal for gardening enthusiasts, the
Kew Gardens contain the new
technologically advanced Princess of
Wales Conservatory.Opened in 1987,
it recreates the appropiate climatic
temperatures for many various plants
that grow and flourish there.
 Queen’s Park

 Queen’s Park is a 12 hectare park

managed by the City of London and
has been open to the public since
1887. Queen's Park is a registered
charity.
 Queen's Park is a fine example of a
well-loved and hugely popular city
park. The overall aim of the City of
London is to provide well looked-after
surroundings and facilities to meet
the needs of the park's many visitors,
remaining true to the vision of its
Victorian founders.
 It provides a welcome splash of
green in one of the most densely
populated parts of London, serving
the residents of the London Borough
of Brent in which it is located, as well
as Londoners in general. Facilities
include six all-weather tennis courts, a
pitch and putt course, a pétanque
pitch, an ornamental garden, a
children's playground with paddling
pool, a small zoo and a café.

Large London Gardens:
Day Trip Destinations
Many of London's most famous gardens are on a grand
scale and are former private estates designed to dazzle.
Here are some of London's best large gardens:
 Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew: 121 hectares (300
acres) housing more than 30,000 types of plant, Kew
Gardens has a 250-year history and is a World
Heritage site
 Kensington Palace Gardens: A variety of garden
landscapes, including the 19th-century Italian
Gardens
 Hampton Court Palace Gardens: Devised by Henry
VIII as a magnificent display of opulence with more
than 24 hectares (60 acres) of beautiful gardens
 Eltham Palace: Seven hectares (19 acres) of original
medieval gardens with Art Deco elements
 Syon House and Gardens: 16 hectares (40 acres) of
garden landscaped by the renowned garden
innovator Capability Brown, with a spectacular
"Great Conservatory"
 Smaller London Gardens: Perfect for a Stroll
Top London Gardens
Smaller London Gardens:
Perfect for a Stroll
London is also home to many smaller gardens, offering a brief
respite from the buzz of London life. Some of the most
picturesque include:
 Chelsea Physic Garden: Founded in 1673 for the
cultivation of medicinal plants, today the garden contains
a Garden of World Medicine and a Pharmaceutical
Garden
 The Kyoto Japanese Garden in Holland Park: Created as a
"strolling garden" in 1991, plants and pruning techniques
are carefully selected and maintained to reflect this style
 Charlton House Peace Garden: In 2006, one of Charlton
House's original walled gardens was opened to the public.
It was dedicated as a Peace Garden in support of
Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women
campaign
 Fulham Palace: The palace's spectacular gardens include
an 18th-century walled garden and a variety of rare
shrubs. Look out for The Bishops' Tree – a carved
cedarwood sculpture
 Chiswick House Gardens: These London gardens were
designed in the 18th century by William Kent. Kent's
idealised vision of the Italian countryside transformed
British landscape gardening. The gardens are still being
restored, but are well worth a visit
 The Garden Museum: Complete your exploration of
London gardens by visiting this museum devoted to British
gardening history, with an extraordinary garden of its own.
This fine reproduction of a 17th-century knot garden
boasts historically authentic plants and ornamentation.
 In other words…
 Although London is a
crowded, noisy and
industrial modern
city,you can also find
a place to relax and
contemplate the
nature’s beauty.