Historic parks in London. The oldest royal park in London - St. James Park

St. James Park in London is one of the eight Royal Parks. With its 23 hectares of lush green space, it is considered the pride of Britain's landscapes. The park is located next to the three famous palaces of the city: Buckingham, Westminster and St. James of the same name. The unique local landscapes have become the setting for numerous films. It was here that Woody Allen filmed the scenes of his famous thriller Match Point.

Every year on the Queen's birthday, the “Ceremony of Flowers” ​​takes place in this place. The British Armed Forces, including the Horse Guards, take part in it. We invite you to enjoy the beauty of St. James Park with us and understand why it is so popular.

St. James Park in London (source - Wikimedia)

History of London's oldest park

The history of St. James Park goes back over 400 years. Previously, its territory was a common wetland through which the Tybourne River flowed. However, in 1532 it was bought by King Henry VII, and over time it was inherited by his great-great-grandson James I. In 1603, after his accession to the throne, the king ordered that the marshes be drained and turned into a royal garden. Exotic animals were also supposed to be transported here: camels, crocodiles and even an elephant. Large cages were created in the park, in which rare species of birds lived.

new era for the oldest park London was the period of the reign of King Charles II, son of James. During his exile in France, he was fascinated by the beauty of the royal gardens of Paris and on his return decided to give the park a Versailles officialism. André Molet took up the new planning. After the completion of the work, St. James was opened to visitors, and over time it even became a venue for horse racing.

Already in the 19th century, the architect John Nash took up the reconstruction of the park. According to his design, the canal created by Mole turned into a lake, and walking paths were located around it.
The last works in St. James Park in London were carried out in the 2000s. Then a restaurant was opened on the territory, where visitors could have a romantic dinner, admiring the surrounding landscape. Nash's design has remained largely unchanged to this day.

St. James Park today

Today, the territory of St. James Park in London also includes two islands: West Island and Duck Island. The latter got its name "Duck Island" from the ducks that live on the local lake. In addition to them, you can also see the ancient residents of the park - pelicans. Back in 1664, these birds were presented to King Charles by the Russian ambassador.

Walking in the park, you can find a path marked with metal circles. They were made by the sculptor Alan Pivert. This memorial was created in memory of Lady Diana and has 90 marks indicating places and buildings associated with the princess. In addition to St. James Park, the path passes through Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Each badge features a rose, which became the symbol of Lady Diana Spencer. It also reflects the British cultural heritage and traditions.

Once in St. James, be sure to visit the Blue Bridge on the lake. It offers stunning views of the park. Previously, this place was suspension bridge, but in 1957 it was replaced. Now ducks swim freely under the arches, and Buckingham Palace can be seen between the trees.

How to get to St. James Park

St. James Park in London is different in that it is impossible to get to it by car, because there are no car parks nearby. It will be convenient to get there by tube, because Sent James's Park station is nearby, and a little further is Green Park, Victoria and Westminster.

The park is open daily from 05:00 to 24:00. Before the walk, you can familiarize yourself with the rules of visiting on the information website. Thanks to the successful infrastructure, St. James Park is accessible to people with handicapped, and wide paths allow you to move freely in a wheelchair.

Hanna Koval

which will guide you through the main places of interest London.

As already noted, the main colors of London are all shades of gray, sand, diluted with bright greenery of parks and squares. With them, we will begin our acquaintance with the city.

So, the first on our way will be Hyde Park - the largest royal park. Its territory of 1.4 km² is a traditional place for political rallies, festivities and celebrations.

In ancient times, the land belonged to Westminster Abbey, the famous monastery where the coronations and burials of British monarchs were held. And the very name of the park comes from the ancient unit of area measurement in Anglo-Saxon Britain - guides.

The guides measured the area cultivated by the peasants. IN different corners Britannia guide had different meanings. For example, in Cambridgeshire the average gaida amounted to 120 acres of arable land, while in Wiltshire and Dorset it was only 40 acres.

In the 16th century, the lands were taken to the treasury and used as royal hunting grounds. A century later, the park was opened to Londoners.

The main attraction of the park is Serpentine Lake, where swimming and fishing are allowed.

Other attractions are Apsley House in southeast corner park, which houses the museum of the Duke of Wellington, and Wellington Arch. These objects are reminiscent of the fact that in 1815 Hyde Park hosted a historic parade dedicated to Wellington's victory over Napoleon.

Even in the park there is a corner of speakers, where you can make any speeches without fear of being arrested and punished. It has long reigned here absolute freedom words, and it does not matter that the statements could radically contradict the opinion of the royal court.

Now Hyde Park is a favorite place for recreation and walks for many citizens and visitors. There are no roads for cars, but you can ride a horse-drawn carriage or a bicycle. Here you can also have a picnic or a romantic date.

The next park is Green Park. This is another link in the chain of royal parks. London aristocrats liked to walk here, duels were often arranged. The park is not replete with monuments, only at the junction with St. James Park, opposite Buckingham Palace, is the famous memorial of Queen Victoria, who loved to walk here.

This park also had a bad reputation for a long time. They say that in the Middle Ages it was a cemetery for lepers, who were brought here from a nearby hospital in the St. James area.

Adjacent to Green Park from the east oldest park London - St. James Park. This park opens the "green belt" of London. St. James's Palace overlooks the park from the north, Buckingham Palace from the west, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the east.

The park has undergone many changes over the centuries. Initially, there was an almshouse of St. Jacob (James), then it belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, then was bought by King Henry VIII. Jacob I Stuart ordered to drain the swamps and placed a menagerie with strange animals - camels, crocodiles and an elephant. After the revolution, the restored Charles II remade the park in the manner of the Versailles gardens and laid a canal. The final redevelopment of the park was carried out at the beginning of the 19th century, when George IV, the Prince Regent, ordered that trees be planted and the canal turned into a pond.

It got its name due to the fact that at first only grass grew in it. King Henry VIII, who gave the order to drain the local swamps, hoped to turn the territory into a place of rest, but did not succeed very much, despite all the efforts of his masters. Only much later, at the beginning of the 19th century, Green Park was rebuilt landscape designer John Nash, and until then he was dangerous area where robbers and other dark personalities hunted. Now the reputation of the park has improved, and its landscapes look very stylish, although there are no ponds or large buildings on the territory that can give the area additional picturesqueness. On the other hand, morals in Green Park are quite democratic, the public is not forbidden to wallow right on the grass.

Kensington Gardens

The Kensington Gardens ensemble began to form in 1536 by order of King Henry VIII, who wished to ennoble his hunting grounds.

Unlike other parks in London, this area was privately owned by the royal family for a long time and was therefore considered an aristocratic zone. It was separated from the neighboring Hyde Park under King William III, who wished to have an additional residence in nature. Through the work of the famous architect Christopher Wren, a small palace appeared in Kensington Gardens, which was then used by many prominent people. In particular, the future Queen Victoria lived here before her accession to the throne. most famous person, who lived in Kengsinton Palace, was Princess Diana, who tragically died in 1997, and if you visit the building, you can see the interiors that have survived from that time.

The landscapes of the park, commissioned by high-ranking persons, were carried out by leading designers who created very intimate landscapes. A small round pond is very good, fountains are interesting, monuments look appropriate, including a memorial in honor of Peter Pan.

regent's park

Regent's Park, laid out north of the center of London, owes its name to the Prince Regent, who later became King George IV.

By the beginning of the 19th century, when the prince started the reconstruction of the park, its territory had already belonged to the royal family for more than three hundred years, since King Henry VIII took away the monastery lands for his own benefit and turned them into his hunting grounds. The Prince Regent, who wielded power in place of his mentally ill father, instructed famous architect John Nash to turn the wasteland into landscape park. The plan was to dig several ponds, build a huge palace, form two rings of alleys, and do a lot more.

The Nash project was only partially implemented, due to a banal lack of money. For example, instead of two rings of tracks, there is only one. Nevertheless, more than one and a half hundred hectares of land were properly developed, and Regent's Park quickly gained fame. great place For family vacation. On the territory of the park, you can not only walk and lie on the grass, but also ride boats on the pond, play sports, which many do. Tourists often visit the park because it is located near three important attractions: there is a museum near the southern border of the green area wax figures Madame Tussauds and the famous Baker Street with the house of Sherlock Holmes, from the north it adjoins the London Zoo.

olympic park

The London Olympic Park appeared on the city map in 2012, before the start of the Summer Games.

Officially, it bears the name of Queen Elizabeth II, but no one calls the park otherwise than the Olympic. Several sports facilities were located on the territory of the new park, and when the competitions were over, all of them were at the disposal of the townspeople. The Olympic has tennis courts, bike paths, a climbing wall, skateboarding facilities and a aquatic species sports. Several thematic routes have been laid across the area: separately for families with children, separately for lovers of beautiful views, etc. rest in Olympic park will certainly give a charge of vivacity and energy.

There is so much to see in London that sometimes tourists feel overwhelmed with information and experiences. At such a moment, it is best to go for a walk in one of London's parks to enjoy the pleasant scenery and rejuvenate.

St. James's Park

It is named in memory of the almshouse named after St. Jacob (James). St. James Park is located in the heart of London on an area of ​​23 hectares, formed on the site of the royal hunting grounds. This park was once a swamp, but Henry drained it to include this area in his royal hunting grounds. And he placed a menagerie with outlandish animals here. Charles II, who arrived from France after the restoration of the monarchy, remade the park in the manner of the Versailles gardens. The park was then designed by André Mollet. Charles II opened the park for everyone to visit and was himself a frequent visitor. From the bridge thrown over the lake, you can admire the two most magnificent views London. From the north, St. James's Palace overlooks the park, from the west - Buckingham Palace, from the east - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the domes and towers of the National Liberal Club. To the south is Clarence House, former home queen mothers. It is currently the home of Prince Charles. Members of the royal family often have picnics in the park. It is famous for its collection of birds - more than 30 species live here. Even a colony of pelicans lives here - the Russian ambassador gave the first such bird for the park in 1664.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park, with an area of ​​1.4 km², is one of the royal parks in London, united among themselves into a single large green area in the very center of the city.

The history of the park began in 1536, when Henry VIII took away from Westminster Abbey his possession of Hyde (Menor of Hyde), whose name comes from an old measure of the area, and set up hunting grounds there. Since the 17th century, under King James I, Hyde Park, which at that time was the largest park in London, was open to the public. Under Charles II, the Rotten Row crossing the park, illuminated by the light of 300 oil lamps, became the main promenade of the capital, along which representatives of the English aristocracy walked in carriages between St. James's Palace and Kensington Palace. In 1730, the park acquired an artificial reservoir, shaped like a snake and nicknamed the Serpentine. Already in 1970, the park opened the eponymous art Gallery- Serpentine Gallery, introducing visitors to the art of the XX-XXI centuries.

In 1815, Hyde Park hosted a historic parade commemorating Wellington's victory over Napoleon. This event in Hyde Park today is commemorated by the 1822 statue of Achilles by sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott dedicated to Wellington, The Wellington Museum and Wellington Arch.

The famous Speakers' Corner is located in the northeastern part of the park. Since 1872, when a law was passed in England allowing everyone to gather and orate on any topic, including the discussion of royalty, this place in the park has not been empty. And today, every day from 12:00 from the impromptu stands, you can hear the performances of fiery speakers - from representatives of informal groups and young politicians to all sorts of eccentrics present in the park in abundance.

In 1851, the World's Fair was held in Hyde Park's Crystal Palace. Hyde Park has an attraction - the Animal Cemetery, which was arranged by the Duke of Cambridge after the death of his wife's favorite animals. There are about 300 stone gravestones of pets. The cemetery opens to the public once a year.

Today Hyde Park is a favorite vacation spot for citizens and visitors to London. Apart from water activities on Serpentine Lake, in the park there is a racing circle and a place for horseback riding, there is a riding school. In the park, you can play tennis and bowling, go rollerblading along specially laid paths. A lot of people are attracted by spectacular events, including demonstrations, parades, concerts, gun salutes. It is allowed to walk on the grassy lawns of the park, ancient trees - elms, oaks and plane trees - create cozy shady alleys, under the canopy of which vacationers take refuge in the summer heat.

Green Park

Green Park, or Green Park, is one of London's Royal Parks. It covers an area of ​​53 acres (21 ha), located between London's Hyde Park and St. James's Park. Together with Kensington Gardens and the gardens of Buckingham Palace, it is an almost continuous open area stretching from Whitehall and Victoria Station to Kensington and Notting Hill.

Unlike its neighbors, Green Park does not have any lakes. In addition, only the Monument to Canada Pierre Granche and the Fountain of Constance have. The entire territory of the park is overgrown meadows. The park is bordered to the south by Constitution Hill, to the east by pedestrian Royal Avenue, and to the north by Piccadilly. Meets St James's Park in the Royal Gardens with the Victoria Monument in the centre, opposite the entrance to Buckingham Palace. To the south is the ceremonial alley The Mall and the buildings of the Palace of St. James and Clarence House. Green Park Underground Station is a major transportation hub located in Piccadilly, Victoria, with another stop at northern end Royal Avenue.

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is an old hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest green spaces in southeast London. One of London's Royal Parks and the first to be enclosed (in 1433), it covers an area of ​​183 acres (0.7 km2). From here open great views to the Thames, Isle of Dogs and Central London. The park is open from 6 am for pedestrians and from 7 am for vehicles throughout the day, and closes at dusk.

Geography

The park is a rectangle with sides of 1000 meters by 750 meters. The park stretches along the hillside and is located on two levels. The lower level (next to the Museum, the King's House and, behind them, the River Thames) is located to the north; Climbing up the steep slope of the hill, you find yourself on a wide platform.

Right in the center, on top of a hill, is Greenwich Royal Observatory. In the north - National Maritime Museum and the Royal House, and behind them - the Hospital of Greenwich. To the west is Vanbruch Castle. To the south is Blackhes, and to the southwest is the Wanderer's House overlooking the wasteland. To the west lie several architecturally correct streets: Chesterfield Alley and Croom Hill.

Facilities

The lower level of the park contains a popular children's playground (northeast corner, next to Maze Hill tube station) and an adjacent lake with a boat station. There is also a herbarium here (next to the entrance to Greenwich centre).

On the upper level there is a flower garden with a pond and ducks, a garden with roses, a cricket field, many chestnut trees from the 17th century, a tennis court, a bandstand, Roman ruins, an old oak (“Royal Oak”, in honor of Queen Elizabeth I) and a fenced sanctuary where a few wild deer live.

Regent's Park

Regent's Park is one of the most beautiful royal parks in central London's green belt. The park was opened to the public in 1838, and John Nash took care of its arrangement in 1812, who planned to build 40 villas on this territory in such a way that each of them was completely separate, and neighboring buildings were not visible. The palace, which was intended for the prince regent, was never completed, and only eight villas were built, while only three have survived to this day. The Queen Mary Gardens stand out in the park, famous for their many flower curtains and a magnificent rose garden.

During the summer, Regent Park hosts performances under open sky, musical concerts. The park also houses the famous London Zoo.

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens is one of London's Royal Parks, located to the west of Hyde Park. For the most part lies on the territory of Westminster, but a small West Side belongs to the Kensington and Chelsea area. The area of ​​the park is 275 acres (1.1 km²).

The common space of Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James' Park are collectively known as the "green lungs" in central London between Kensington and Westminster.

For generations of British children, the park is the setting for a book about Peter Pan, a prelude famous history about Neverland. For the first time about the fairies of the garden, Thomas Tickels wrote in 1722 in the poem "Kensington Gardens". Both the book and the hero are immortalized by a statue of Peter Pan located in the park.

Chelsea Physic Garden

Chelsea Medical Garden - big garden in London, founded in 1673 by the London Society of Apothecaries. Today Chelsea Medical Garden with an area of ​​1.4 hectares is one of the best botanical gardens in England, it ranks second in terms of the number of green exhibits growing in it after Oxford University. botanical garden. In the Chelsea Medical Garden, you can see the oldest fruit-bearing olive trees in England, plants used in medicine and perfumery, rare aromatic herbs and spices. A chic rock garden was laid out in the garden, created from “40 tons ancient stone, pebbles, chalk and lava.

London Zoo (London Zoo)

The London Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world. It is located in the West End, in the northern part of Regent's Park. It is administratively subordinate to the Zoological Society of London, which has been operating since 1826. The zoo was founded in April 1828, and was the first zoo created exclusively for scientific work. The doors of this institution were opened to the general public only in 1847. Visitors to the London Zoo were the first in the world to see the reptile pavilion (serpentarium) (1849), the oceanarium (1853), the insect pavilion (1881) and the first children's zoo (1938).

Some pavilions of the London Zoo are architectural monuments, for example, Clock tower(Clock Tower, 1828), originally built as a pavilion for llamas by the architect Burton, or Giraffe House (Giraffe House, 1837) by the same architect.

The only quagga lived in the London Zoo - an exterminated artiodactyl, a subspecies of the zebra that was photographed, as well as the only marsupial Tasmanian wolf, another extinct mammal, about whose life the zoo even managed to make a movie. In addition, Europe saw the first hippo in the London Zoo. And when in 1880 the elephant Jumbo appeared at the zoo, his name became a household name in English language for very large items.

In 2001, elephants, rhinos and other large animals were transferred from London Zoo to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, also run by the Zoological Society of London. As of 2006, the London Zoo is home to 16,802 animals of 755 species.

Holland Park

Dutch Park is located in the west of Central London and is considered perhaps the most romantic place cities filled with lush vegetation and secluded corners.

The neighborhood of Holland Park is a fashionable area of ​​London, with expensive villas and embassies of various foreign countries.

The park was built in the 19th century on the lands of the former Jacobin estate. The center of the estate was the Dutch House mansion, which later gave its name to the park and the area around it.

The northern side of the Dutch Park is filled with lush vegetation, central part located around the ruins of the Dutch House, South part designed for sports and entertainment. The ruins of the "Dutch House" form the end part of the building of the Dutch Park Opera House. The park also has its own greenhouse, a cricket field, several tennis courts, an elegant Japanese garden, play area for children.

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is a forested area in London, which was once the hunting grounds of Charles I. On the territory of the park of 1000 hectares there is a population of deer (650 individuals) living in natural environment a habitat. The park is home to many species of plants, different kinds birds and butterflies. You can walk in the park, go horseback riding or cycling, fishing in the lake is also offered, there are 2 golf courses. From Richmond Park open beautiful views in the old part of London.

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens)

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens, or Kew Gardens, is a landmark in southwest London, which is visited by about 2 million people annually. Kew Gardens, covering an area of ​​121 hectares, was founded in 1759 in Kew Park by Lord Tewkesbury. The Gardens were later enlarged and rebuilt on the orders of the Dowager Princess Augusta of Wales by the architect William Chambers.

One after another appeared in the Gardens architectural structures that have survived to this day:

Kew Palace built in 1631 with its surroundings Royal Garden, the plants in which have been preserved since the 17th century. A separate entry ticket is required.

Chinese Pagoda (Chinese Pagoda) (1762), consisting of 10 octagonal block-floors and a staircase in the center of the building.

Gallery Marianne North (Marianne North Gallery), built in 1880 in honor of the artist Marianne North, the only woman traveling at that time on her own in the North and South America and Asia. The collection contains 832 works by the artist.

Alpine House (1887) - a greenhouse with an alpine mountain climate.

The Minka House is a Japanese-inspired wooden house replicating a 1900 building in the Okazaki area.

Chokushi-Mon - pavilion dedicated to the Japanese-British Exhibition (1910), a complete reconstruction of the gate of the Nishi Hongan-ji temple in Kyoto, surrounded by traditional Japanese gardens.

In addition to these buildings, the Gardens have the Water Lily House - a warm and humid pavilion with a large pond, Queen Charlotte's Cottage, Sackler Crossing Bridge, Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Gallery.

Initially, exhibit plants for Kew Gardens were selected haphazardly, and only in 1771 the collection was grouped and described by the efforts of the managing collector, Francis Mason. In 1840, Kew Gardens received the status of a national botanical garden, and in 2003 they were included in the list. world heritage UNESCO.

Today, the collection of Kew Botanical Gardens is one of the largest collections of living plants in the world, it contains more than 30 thousand plant species, and the herbarium - about 7 million specimens. Kew Gardens has a library of more than 750,000 volumes and about 175,000 plant illustrations. Every year the Gardens hosts the International Garden Photographer competition.

Victoria Park (Victoria Park, Vicky Park)

Victoria Park, or Wiki Park - big park located in East London. It was built in 1842–1846 on the site of the former episcopal estate of Stepney. In 1845 the park became open to the public. Today, Vicki Park is a very popular public place; music concerts and festivals, rallies and meetings are held on its green lawns. The park has an amusement area and a public swimming pool. In addition, the park is very popular with parents with children - there is a One O'Clock kids club with a small zoo corner.

As the Victoria Model Steam Boat Club, the oldest rowing club in the world, has been located in the park since 1904, about 17 Sunday regattas are held annually in the park.

Hampstead Meadow (The Heath)

Hampstead Meadow, or simply Hes, is the oldest and largest park in London, its territory exceeds 300 hectares. Hampstead Meadow is located on a hill and is hilly area with ponds, green groves, gardens, sports grounds.

On the territory of Lug there are 25 reservoirs, including lakes, ponds and pools. The park's sports facilities include running tracks, golf courses and tennis courts.

There is also a small zoo in an area called Golders Hill Park, where you can see parrots, herons, deer, red-footed chamois.

Battersea Park

Battersea Park is a large London park located on the south bank of the Thames and opened to the general public in the middle of the 19th century. The park is known for its water garden with fountains and "Forest Avenue" - alleys connected by special platforms installed between the branches of trees. A park - favorite place recreation for Londoners and guests of the city - there you can ride roller skates, swings and carousels, play tennis or football, etc. In addition, the park often hosts fairs and exhibitions for tourists telling about the history of Battersea Park. In addition, there is a small zoo for children, boat station, stage for orchestra.

Osterley Park

Osterley Park is a large park located in the western suburbs of London. Its center is the mansion of the same name, built by order of the banker Sir Thomas Gresham in the 16th century and subsequently decorated in a neoclassical style. Today, the mansion is available for visits, where you can see the original interiors of past times. The mansion is surrounded by a garden built in the 18th century. Osterley Park has a farmer's shop that sells fresh vegetables grown in the surrounding area.