London's Royal Parks are one of the highlights of the city, 5,000 acres of land that once belonged to the royal family, some still containing the deer from these former royal hunting grounds. Even now the Queen takes a particular interest, and according to a report in the Daily Telegraph of July 18, 2010, has seen off attempts by local authorities to take control of them. Rich in monuments and meticulously maintained, the parks are part of the city's history. On any day you can find people enjoying themselves with picnics, ball games and rowing boats – or sitting under trees reading books or admiring the flowers.
Watch Pelicans Being Fed in St James's
St James's Park. opposite Buckingham Palace, is one of the most delightful, beautifully planted around a lake filled with exotic wild fowl, including a pair of pelicans who are fed fish every day at 2.30pm. This is at the back of Whitehall and Downing Street, and civil servants take their lunchtime sandwiches here. It also has a well appointed café/restaurant.
Go Boating in Hyde Park
Hyde Park is the largest, set around the Serpentine, a lake with rowing boats. Here you can hire horses to trot down Rotten Row, whizz by on skates, or paddle in the Diana Memorial Fountain. There are exhibitions of contemporary art in the Serpentine Gallery, which each year commissions a pavilion from a well known artist: in 2010 it was French architect Jean Nouvel. Concerts in the park include an extension of the Proms at the nearby Royal Albert Hall. Speaker's Corner at Marble Arch is famous for allowing anyone to say what they like.
Meet Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens occupies the western end of Hyde Park. These were once the Gardens of Kensington Palace, residence of the monarchy before they moved to Buckingham Palace. Princess Diana lived here and other members of the royal family still occupy its apartments. This is a popular strolling ground for au pairs and nannies, many from eastern Europe, employed by wealthy Kensington families. A monument to Peter Pan, who enchanted the children of Kensington's Darling family, stands by the lake, here called the Long Water. The Round Pond in front of the Palace is popular with model boat makers.Green Park lies between St James's and Hyde Park. There are few monuments or amenities here, but it is a useful green space, appreciated by office workers around Piccadilly.
Visit the Zoo in Regent's Park
The Regent's Park is an enormous space, though not as large as Hyde Park. Laid out around beautiful Nash buildings beside the Regent's Canal, it contains London Zoo. There is a large boating lake on the west side. In summer the Royal Shakespeare Company runs an open-air theatre, usually with Shakespeare plays, though in 2010 Arthur Miller's The Crucible was chosen.
See Deer in Richmond and Bushy Parks
Richmond Park is by the Thames in west London where a riverside royal palace once stood. The park is famous for its deer, which have to be culled every year. A wild park with bracken and ponds, it has motor traffic and is popular with cyclists.
Bushy Park, another deer park, is nearby, next to Hampton Court Palace, which was built by Henry VIII's Cardinal Wolsey to rival the king's own Richmond Palace.
Great Views from Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park in East London was where another Tudor Palace once stood – Henry VIII was born here and shards of its red brick lie on the shore. Today it contains the National Maritime Museum and the London Observatory, from where there are grand views over the city.
It's gratifying that the Queen takes an active interest in her parks - especially as she has her own 42-acre garden to take care of at Buckingham Palace, too.
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