One of London's most delightful things that doesn't get a lot of coverage in the visitor's guides is its many Royal Parks. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St. James Park are among them and these particular ancient parks are located in the very heart of the city; they are beautifully maintained, full of interesting things and very safe.
Hyde Park covers about 350 acres and was originally a royal hunting ground. Kensington Gardens, which abuts Hyde Park to the west and for all intent and purposes is a part of it, is quite heavily treed - when they are in full leaf one can be in the middle of it and not see any of the surrounding city.
The parks essentially interconnect. Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park form one large rectangle, at the south east corner of Hyde Park (across Park Lane) is Green Park, and across The Mall at the end of Green Park is Saint James Park. If you walk to the southern entrance of Green Park guess what you'll see directly opposite? OMG - Buckingham Palace!
Okay, let's say you just happen to be staying in Lancaster Gate and you feel like taking a stroll, here's what you might want to consider. Enter Kensington Gardens at the traffic light on Bayswater Road just by The Swan pub (it's just to the west of Lancaster Gate tube station). You'll be at the area known as the Italian Garden - this is at the head of the Serpentine lake which is quite a large body of water that stretches down into Hyde Park. Head off in a south westerly direction to The Round Pond (quite a nice pond for ducks and model boaters) and from there you'll see Princess Diana's former residence, Kensington Palace, to the west, now the home of William and Kate. (Palace seems like a bit of an overstatement - it's more like a very impressive house). Take a tour if you like or perhaps just check out the gardens and orangery. Close to Kensington Palace is a children's playground, and here you'll find the old Elfin Oak. This is a very curious thing that I really like. Those of you who are Pink Floyd fans and had their LP Ummagumma will have seen this on the inside sleeve artwork (too obscure? - probably).
Okay back on the trail; lots of places to go from here. Perhaps walk to the southern boundary of Kensington Gardens to see the Prince Albert Memorial statute - nothing understated about that - and the Royal Albert Hall directly opposite. Conversely kinda re-trace your steps to the Italian Garden and then walk along the west side of the Serpentine to check out the famous statute of Peter Pan. Keep going and you'll go through a small arch under the road and then you'll enter Hyde Park. The Serpentine stretches out in front of you.
The first thing you'll encounter is Princess Diana's Memorial which is an interactive water feature that children and adults can play in. The attractive rectangular building opposite the lake is the old changing rooms for members of the Serpentine Swim Club; it's now a very pleasant small restaurant (The Lido) great for coffee, tea or sandwiches etc. As a former member of the Serpentine Swim Club I am amazed at how well the building has been restored. There are still some historic photos of the "nutters" jumping into the lake in winter. Maybe keep strolling by the lake (or along Rotten Row - the horse path that runs roughly parallel) to Hyde Park Corner and continue the walk through Green Park and then Saint James. Alternative, head to the southern boundary of Hyde Park, cross over the road, cut through a couple of lanes and you'll end up on the Brompton Road - oh my, there's Harrods.
Speaker's Corner is at the very north east corner of Hyde Park by Marble Arch - this gets going on Sunday afternoon. Marble Arch is at the western end of Oxford Street, and perhaps a quarter of mile along Oxford Street is Marks and Spencer's flagship store. In addition to being a great clothes store the food at Marks and Spencers in the form of sandwiches etc. is excellent and well priced. Finally, Kensington Gardens closes at night but Hyde Park doesn't. It's lit by very old gas lights and as such a stroll along the banks of Serpentine at night can be delightful. Enjoy!
http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/Hyde-Park.aspx
