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LICEUL TEORETIC MIRON COSTIN IASI

LUCRARE DE ATESTAT

Londons Royal Parks andGardens

INDRUMTOR:

Prof. MUNTEANU ALINA ELENA

CANDIDAT:

ANDREEA STOICA


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IAI 2010

Table of contents

1)Argument ....3

2) Introduction ...................................................................................4

3) Chapter l ............................................................................5

Hyde Park

4) Chapter ll ..................................................................................12

Regents Park

5) Chapter lll ......................................................................................16

Greenwich Park

6) Chapter lV ................................................................................ 20

St. Jamess Park

7) Conclusion ..................................................................................... 28

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8)Bibliography ................................................................................. 29

Argument

The most fascinating part of British culture is its own history, a long journey of

events and battles, of glorious day and hard periods, of great conquests in order to expand the

British Empire. Every bit of the history left a print in the whole culture through great buildings

and monuments, artefacts and manuscripts that are to be found in the museums.

Having a passion for the past events, I tied to research what is the most representative

element of the British history and where could I find it, and then, I realised that everything that

this great country has are its beautiful parks, places not only for sports and leisure, but also forexposing to visitors the glorious past of the

British Empire. For that reason, the whole

country is covered in beautiful parks which are

protected and managed by different

organisations. But the best of all, one could

find in the City of London.

To explore the beauties of thenature mixed with the parts of history was a

thrilling challenge for me, just like the

explorers in their way to discover new places

of interest around the Earth or like Americans during the gold rush. The excitement in learning

so many things about the British dynasties and the conquests not through history books and

encyclopaedias, but through these beautiful parks and gardens, was my main motivation in

choosing this topic.

The following pages constitute an open book of knowledge and precious information about

the most important Londons Parks and Gardens, an important guide of the present and past

natural and historical heritage

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Introduction

London carries out a great history which is reflected in every feature that the city has:

architectural buildings, museums, event the people of London and the air that every visitor

breathes there is impregnated with a glorious and a great history.

Besides the historical artefacts and object visible to the public, London presents a

variety of parks and gardens named by the critics as being the lungs of the city. It is necessary

to point out the fact that all these parks and gardens are part of the English heritage and they

were created and funded by numerous kings and queens who, at some point in history, ruled

England, and over the time, the United Kingdom.

If, in the beginning, the parks and gardens were property of the royal families and

were used as amusements for the royal members, they were opened, eventually, to the public.

The main purposes of these parks and gardens were to relax and enjoy the weather, especially

during the summer days, to carry out some of the entertainment activities, and, the most

important one, to hunt, a well-knows sport in the English high society.

Among the numerous parks and gardens that the metropolis of London reveals to the

public, the most interesting ones, regarding the historical and architectural values, are Hyde Park,

St. Jamess Park, Regents Park and Greenwich Park, the last one placed on the suburbs of

London. Their whole history and their most remarkable features will be widely discussed in the

present paper, identifying their historical, cultural and touristic potential not only for the capital,

but also for the entire country.

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Chapter I

Hyde Park

Being the largest of the

central London parks, Hyde Park was

once a favourite deer-hunting ground for

Henry VIII. Together with Kensington

Gardens, the park covers 246 hectares of

central London.

The ancient manor of Hyde once formed part of the lands belonging to Westminster

Abbey. In 1536, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries, this land was seized by Henry VIII and

became part of the King's hunting grounds.

It has remained a royal park

ever since. In the early 17th century

James I opened Hyde Park as London's

first public park.

Although it was plagued by

highwaymen and duelling nobles, Hyde

Park soon became one London's most

prized public spaces and a fashionable

place to see and be seen. Queen

Caroline (wife of George II) was a keen

landscape gardener and in the 1730s the

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queen was behind the scheme that dammed the Westbourne River to create an artificial lake.

Known as the Serpentine, this became the park's central feature; popular for both boating and

bathing.

In 1851 Hyde Park was the setting for the Great Exhibition. Joseph Paxton's

magnificent 'Crystal Palace' stood between the Serpentine and the Prince of Wales Gate. In 1852

the vast glass building was dismantled and rebuilt in south-east London. That area is still named

after the great glass-house,

although the actual Crystal

Palace was destroyed by fire in

1936.

The following

description of Hyde Park is from

the Memoirs of Count Grammont

in the reign of Charles II.: "Hyde

Park, everyone knows, is the promenade of London: nothing was so much in fashion, during the

fine weather, as that promenade, which was the rendezvous of magnificence and beauty: every

one, therefore, who had either sparkling eyes, or a splendid equipage, constantly repaired thither,

and the king seemed pleased with the

place."1

The entrance into Hyde Park

from the west end of Piccadilly, at "the

Corner," is imposing and magnificent in

the extreme. The park itself open and airy

place and with the trees in Kensington

Gardens and the handsome houses on theeast, north, and south, presents a

remarkably interesting and pleasant view. At the beginning of the present century, it wore a

different appearance from that of today. For instance, from a print of 1808, it is clear that on the

1Walford E., 1878. Old and New London: Volume 4. Published by Centre for Metropolitan History, London,

England, p. 406-441

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left, inside the entrance at Hyde Park Corner, was the under-keeper's lodge, a wooden structure.

At the bottom of an old view of Kensington Palace, among the topographical illustrations

belonging to George III., is the following inscription: "The avenue leading from St. James's

through Hyde Park to Kensington Palace is very grand. On each side of it landthorns are placed

at equal distances, which being lighted in the dark seasons for the conveniency of the courtiers,

appear inconceivably magnificent."1

Hyde Park far

surpasses that of St. James's in

pure rural scenery. Its trees may

not be greener or leafier, but

there is in its appearance less of

art and more of nature, and this

is evidenced by the beauty of the

Serpentine River.

The Park reaches

from Piccadilly as far westwards

as Kensington Gardens, and it

lies between the roads leading to Kensington and Bayswater, the former a continuation of

Piccadilly, and the latter of Oxford Street. It originally contained a little over 620 acres; but by

enclosing and taking part of it into Kensington Gardens, and by other grants of land for building

between Park Lane and Hyde Park Corner, it has been reduced to a fewer than four hundred. It

has eight principal entrances. The first is at Hyde Park Corner. It consists of a triple archway,

combined with an iron screen, and was erected from the designs of Mr. Decimus Burton, in

1828.

In Park Lane is Stanhope Gate, opened about 1750; and also Grosvenor Gate, whichwas erected by a public subscription among the neighbouring residents, and named after Sir

Richard Grosvenor. At the north-east corner of the Park, at the western end of Oxford Street, is

Cumberland Gate, now adorned with the "Marble Arch," of which we shall have more to say


England, p. 406-441

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presently. In the Bayswater Road is the Victoria Gate, opposite Sussex Square. The entrances on

the south side are the Albert Gate, Knightsbridge, nearly opposite the road leading into Lowndes

Square; the Prince of Wales's Gate, near the site of the old "Half-way House," and close by the

spot where on stood the "Great Exhibition" of 1851; whilst further westward is the Kensington

Gate.

At a very early period, the Park was fenced in with deer-palings. In the reign of

Charles II these were superseded by a

brick wall, which again, in the reign of

George IV., gave place to an open iron

railing. As late as the year 1826 the south

side was disfigured by two large

erectionsthe one a riding-house, and

the other an engine house belonging to

the Chelsea Water-works Company. The

former building, known as the Duke of

Gloucester's Riding House, was built in

1768, but pulled down in 1820, having

served as the head-quarters of the

Westminster Volunteer Cavalry during

the war against Napoleon. Its site was

afterwards occupied for a time by an

exhibition of a picture of the Battle of

Waterloo, painted by a Dutch artist,

which enjoyed a season's popularity as one of the sights for "country cousins" in London, and is

now in the Royal Museum of the Pavilion, near Haarlem, in Holland. The license of the Chelsea

Water-works Company terminated towards the end of the reign of William IV., when the engine-house opposite Grosvenor Gate was taken down, and the circular space which it occupied was

turned into a basin, with a fountain in the centre. This was filled up about the year 1860, and the

place converted into a circular Dutch garden.

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The enclosure

at the north-west corner

was well planted with

trees, and stocked with

cows and deer, and had a

keeper's lodge. Sir

Richard Phillips writes

thus, in "Modern

London," published by

him in 1804:"Beneath a

row of trees, running

parallel with the keeper's

garden, are two springs,

greatly resorted to: the one is a mineral, and is drunk; the other is used to bathe weak eyes with.

At the former, in fine weather, sits a woman, with a table, and chairs, and glasses, for the

accommodation of visitors. People of fashion often go in their carriages to the entrance of this

enclosure, which is more than a hundred yards from the first spring, and send their servants with

jugs for the water, or send their children to drink at the spring. The brim of the further spring is

frequently surrounded by persons, chiefly of the lower orders, bathing their eyes. The water is

constantly clear, from the vast quantity which the spring casts up, and is continually running off

by an outlet from a small square reservoir."1

Of the recent improvements in this park, Walker speaks thus, in his "Original," in

1835:"The widened, extended, and well-kept rides and drives in Hyde Park, with the bridge,

and the improvement of the Serpentine, form a most advantageous comparison with their former

state."2

The statue of Achilles stands on a gently sloping mound in the Park, facing the

entrance, about a hundred yards north of Apsley House. It was executed by Sir Richard

Westmacott in 1822. The figure is said to have been copied from one of the antique statues on


England, p. 406-441

2Idem.

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the Monte Cavallo at Rome. The statue appears as if in the act of striking. On the pedestal is this

inscription:"To Arthur, Duke of Wellington, and his brave companions in arms, this statue of

Achilles, cast from cannon taken in the battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse, and Waterloo,

is inscribed by their countrywomen." 1 This statue, which was erected by a subscription among

the ladies of England as a monument in honour of the military successes of the Duke of

Wellington, is open to grave objections, besides the fact that the figure is undraped.

Considerable alterations and improvements have been made in the Serpentine at

different periods. It originally received the water of a stream which had its rise in the

neighbourhood of Hampstead; but as this stream was for many years the Bayswater sewer, the

result was that we had about fifty acres of stagnant water and other matters, the depth varying

from one to thirty feet. To remedy this state of things the Bayswater sewer was cut from the

Serpentine in 1834, and the loss of water, or rather of sewerage, which the river sustained in

consequence was supplied from the Thames by the Chelsea Waterworks Company. The

accumulation of putrid matter, nevertheless, still remained for many years in the bed of the river;

but in the end it became absolutely necessary, in consequence of the effluvia arising from it

during the hot weather, to remove the mud deposits, and to take means for ensuring a constant

stream of pure water throughout.

The marble arch had stood in front of the chief entrance to Buckingham Palace,

bearing the royal banner of England, and carrying the imagination back to the age of chivalry.

The arch, which was adapted by Mr. Nash from the Arch of Constantine at Rome, was not

included in the design for building the new front of Buckingham Palace. It cost 80,000; the

metal gates alone cost 3,000. It was originally intended to have been surmounted by an

equestrian statue of George IV., by Sir Francis Chantrey. The material is Carrara marble, and it

consists of a centre gateway and two side openings. On each face are four Corinthian columns,

the other sculpture being a keystone to the centre archway, and a pair of figures in the spandrels,

a panel of figures over each side entrance, and wreaths at each end; these were executed by

Flaxman, Westmeath, and Rossi. The centre gates are bronzed, and ornamented with a beautiful

scroll-work, with six openings, two filled with St. George and the Dragon, two with "G. R.," and

1Brady J., 1838.A New Pocket Guide to London and its Environs. Published byJohn W. Parker, West Strand,

London, UK, p. 73

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above, two lions passant guardant. They were designed and cast by Samuel Parker, of Argyll

Street, and are said to be the largest and most superb in Europe, not excepting those of the Ducal

Palace at Venice, or of the Louvre at Paris. The frieze and semicircle intended to fill up the

archway, the most beautiful part of the design, were unfortunately mutilated in the removal, and

could not be restored.

Today, despite being surrounded by some of the world's busiest streets, Hyde Park is

a peaceful haven for the capital's office workers and tourists. At 1.5 miles long and just under

0.5 mile wide, it is central London's largest park. There are 350 acres of woods, grasslands, lake

and gardens.

Hyde Park also has a

horse riding track, originally laid

out from the West End to

Kensington Palace by William

III. This famous track is known

as Rotten Row, a corruption of

'route du roi'. Other highlights

include a children's playground

and boating on the Serpentine.

In the summer there are Sunday

afternoon concerts at the bandstand and open air music concerts are also regularly held here.

On Sunday mornings, Speaker's Corner, at the north-east corner near Marble Arch, is

a venue for free speech (an 1872 law made it legal for a speaker to assemble a crowd and address

them on any subject).

At around 10.30 am every day the Household Cavalry can be observed riding

through the park from Hyde Park Barracks to Buckingham Palace. On royal anniversaries and

other important occasions a 41-gun salute is fired in Hyde Park, opposite the Dorchester Hotel in

Park Lane.

Chapter II

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Regents Park

Regents Park covers most of the London district with the same name, comprises

about 450 acres and is situated on the north-west side of London having a modern foundation

and being once the site for Marylebone Park.

Originally part of the Middlesex

Forest, this land became a royal hunting

ground.

Design in the 18th century by John

Nash to surround a palace for the prince

regent, Regents Park is the most classically

beautiful of Londons parks. It was named

after George IV, then Prince Regent, who is

said to have contemplated building a palace on the north-east side. The designer reserved the

inner-circle, now the Botanical Garden, as the site for this palace. The park wasnt opened to the

public till 1838.

The architect's original concept was to establish an urban idyll, with 56 villas in

Classical styles, and a pleasure palace for the

Prince Regent. But only eight villas, and no

palace, were constructed inside the park, three of

the villas have survived along the edge of the Inner

Circle.

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Cumberland

Terrace, to the east of the

park, was also part of the

architect's plan. Dating from

1828, it is the longest and

most ornate of Nash's

terraces, with a central block

of raised columns topped by a

decorated triangular

pediment. Cumberland

Terrace was designed to be

seen from the palace planned for the Prince Regent. As Prince Regent was busy with his plans

for Buckingham Palace, the palace in Regent's Park was never built. Nash wanted the Regent's

Canal to run through the park but was persuaded that the bad language of the bargees would

offend the refined residents of the area. 1

Today Regent's Park, surrounded by Regency buildings, is London's most civilized

park. Lively in the summer, with two boating lakes, one for children, three playgrounds, tennis

courts, bandstand music, a caf and an open-air theatre.

Its core is a rose garden planted around a small lake alive with waterfall and spanned

by Japanese bridges. Several fine villas with ample grounds were built here such as the

handsome villa of the Marquis of Hertford on the north-west side and Mr. Bishops mansion and

observatory.

Many varieties of water birds can be seen on the boating lake, including herons that

nest on the islands. Broad Walk, leading north towards London Zoo, provides a picturesque

stroll.

2

1Porter D., 2010.Frommers London 2010. Wiley Publishing Inc., New Jersey, USA, p. 302.

2Idem.

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The Outer Circle, the main road running around the park, is over 2 miles long,

bordered to the north by Regent's Canal, to the west and east by Palladian mansions and to the

south by Nash's Park Crescent and the Marylebone Road.

The park is home to the Open Air Theatre and the London Zoo. The garden of Baron

Goldsmid near the inner circle enhances the beauty of the park being so well seen from the

opposite side of the lake. The Coliseum, on the east side, with its ample dome, contributes much

to the effect from various points.

The best features of the park are the long straight walks, the ornamental water with

its bridges, the broad open space on the north-western side and the villas and terraces. The Long

Walk is about a mile length and extends from the south end nearly to Primrose Hill. It is forty

feet wide, on the rise most of the way and attaining the top of the low hill near the end. On either

side of it, there are four lines of trees

which are all elms towards the upper

end.

The ornamental water is of a

good form with its terminations well

covered and several islands covered by

trees. It lies in the midst of villas and

terraces on the south side of the park. Some noble weeping willows are placed along its southern

margins. Three light suspension bridges two of which carry the walk across an island at the

western end of the lake are neat and elegant, but the close wire fence at their sides interferes with

the beauty of their form.

The whole of the park needed to be thoroughly drained; its clayey subsoil having

long caused a damp unhealthy atmosphere to hang over the district during autumn and winter.

The advantage of good drainage cannot be overestimated whether as it respects the public health

and comfort or the progress of the trees.

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Passing along the western

road from the Portland Place to the inner

circle, there is a very picturesque and

pleasing nook of water on the right

where the value of a tangled mass of

shrubs for clothing the banks will be

very conspicuously seen.

Almost adjoining Regents

Park on the north-west side is Primrose

Hill to which the public have free access and which is a very favourite spot for a summer ramble.

It is in the form of a large roundish swell or knoll and, being unplanted, afford views of a very

ample and diversified.

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Chapter III

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park was design by Le Notre

almost in the same time as St. James Park and spread

over 200 acres. Except in the remains of many of the

avenues, there are not very strong traces of the formal

style of that artist left, as it is not on a beautifullyvaried surface like this that straight walks and regular

lines of trees are at all tolerable. This beautiful park is

set on a hill between Blackheath and the River

Thames, and once formed the grounds of Greenwich

Palace and the land is owned by the Crown to this

day.

Greenwich Park was enclosed by Henry

VI in 1433 and its brick wall was constructed in the

reign of James I. The remains of a Roman temple and Saxon mounds have been found here but

this lovely riverside park is more famous for its Tudor and Stuart history.

Henry VIII was born at Greenwich Palace, then known as Placentia, in 1491. Deer

were introduced in 1515, and a herd still grazes the 13 acre Wilderness. With its hunting

grounds and proximity to his home fleet at anchor on the Thames, Greenwich Palace remained

Henry's favourite residence. His daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I were both born here. It was at

Greenwich that Sir Walter Raleigh put his cloak over a puddle so Elizabeth I would not get her

feet wet.

In 1616 James I commissioned Inigo Jones to rebuild the Tudor palace, and the

resulting 'Queen's House' was the first Palladian villa built in England. Later in the 17th century

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the park was redesigned by Andr Le Ntre,

the French landscape gardener, who had laid

out the gardens at Versailles. The broad

avenue, rising south up the hill, formed part

of his plan. Charles II's designs for a new

palace were later adapted to become the Old

Royal Naval College.1

A particularity of this park is the

ground itself undulated with great variety, in

some parts thrown up into the softest swell and in other places assuming a bolder and more

sudden elevation. Around the site of the Observatory, it is particularly steep and attains a

considerable height.

The park contains a great variety of noble specimen of ancient trees and, in some

respect; there isnt other London park at all equal with it. Some of the trees are Spanish

chestnuts. Many of these are truly fine and venerable and would command admiration even if

found in the heart of a purely rural district. The elms are abundant and also, large and noble; also

there are some picturesque Scotch firs in the neighbourhood of the observatory old enough to

show the peculiar warm reddish colouring of the stems and the characteristic horizontal or tufted

heads.

The most noticeable feature of the park is the Royal Observatory situated on the most

commanding site and making a conspicuous feature in itself while the platform around it is

highly favourable for views. The observatory has a very striking view of the river Thames along

which many large vessels are generally tacking their course either in or out of London and the

sight of these in a clear sunny day from Greenwich Park with the old trees below partially to

cover the town, is such as can nowhere else be matched. The Hospital has an imposingappearance between the park and the river and several church spires come into view to break the

outline. Behind the hill on which the Observatory stands, the park has a pleasing wilderness of

1Rev. Lysons D., The Environs of London: Being a Historical Account of the Towns, Villages and Hamlets,

within Twelve Miles of the Capital: Interspersed with Biographical anecdotes. Vol. I, Part II, the 2nd edition,

London, England, p. 519

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aspect, which, combined with the size

and age of the trees, presents a marked

contrast to the scene of habitation and

bustle on the sides towards the river.

On One-tree Hill, which is a

bold and half-detached knoll, the tree that

gave the name of the spot is dead, and

here there are generally, a number of old

pensioners congregated, who while away

their time here in summer by show to

visitors, views of the river through telescopes and through coloured glass of various shades, the

effect of the later being very peculiar.

The Old Royal Observatory and Flamstead House, created by Sir Christopher Wren,

stand at the top of the hill. The meridian (0 longitude), which passes through Greenwich Park at

the Old Royal Observatory, divides the globe into East and West. At 13:00 every day the

Observatory's big red ball can be seen to drop. This event, which has taken place every day since

1833, was to enable the makers of chronometers, navigators' clocks and sailors on the Thames to

set their clocks by it. 1

From the top of the hill

there are superb views over the

National Maritime Museum and

Docklands and on a fine day most of

London can be seen.

To the south-west of the

park stands the Ranger's House,

dating from 1700. This was allotted

to the Park Ranger in 1815 but now it

has the Suffolk Collection of 17th

1July - December 1839.Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine. Vol. XLVI, Published by William Blackwood and sons, Edinburgh,

Scotland, p. 75.

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century English portraits by Sir Peter Lely, William Larkin and others, as well as a display of

historic musical instruments.

Other features of the park include a pond with wildfowl, a flower garden, and a

children's playground. In the summer brass bands perform in the park and there special events

such as open air theatre, puppet shows in the playground and caf music.

The information centre has details of these events and displays about the history of

Greenwich Park.

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Chapter IV

St. Jamess Park

Londons St Jamess Park is the oldest Royal Park in the city and the site of many

special events. The 23-hectare (58 acre) park boasts beautiful gardens, a lake thats home to local

waterfowl, and lots of wide open space.The park lies at the Southernmost tip of the St. James's

area, which was named after a

leper hospital dedicated to St.James the Less.

St. James's Park is bounded by

Buckingham Palace to the West,

The Mall and St. James's Palace

to the North, Horse Guards to

the East, and Birdcage Walk to

the South. The park has a small

lake, St. James's Park Lake, with two islands, Duck Island (named for the lake's collection of

waterfowl), and West Island. A bridge across the lake affords a Westward view of Buckingham

Palace framed by trees and fountains, and a view of the main building of the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office, similarly framed, to the East.

The park is the most easterly of a near-continuous chain of parks that also comprise

(moving Westward) Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The closest London

Underground stations are St. James's Park, Victoria, and Westminster.1

The land on which pristine St Jamess Park sits was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532.

At this site, he built St Jamess Palace. Later, Elizabeth I, who loved pageantry, held many

special events in the park, and her successor, King Charles II, made many additions to the park,

1Porter D., 2010.Frommers London 2010. Wiley Publishing Inc., New Jersey, USA, p. 302-303.

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including more trees and grassy areas.

The changes of the park were made by

the French architect Le Notre who also

designed the gardens of Versailles. At

this period, a chain of small ponds was

converted into a lake. Charles II was

the first to open the park to the public.

In the times of George IV, the park was

again remodelled, the lake was greatly

enlarged and a number of new

plantations were added. 1

Throughout the centuries, the park was used as a Royal Zoo, a reservoir, and even a

bowling alley, all of which took their toll on the park in one way or another. In the 1830s, John

Nash redesigned the park, making it more romantic in style and revitalizing the trees, lawns, and

gardens.

During the reigns of Elisabeth I and the first two Stuarts, St Jamess Park was

consider to be a nursery for deer and an appendage to the tilt yard.

Entering by the steps near the

Duke of Yorks column, in Waterloo

Place or by Horse Guards, in Whitehall,

the park reveals to the visitors its

beauties and its places of interest.

Passing westward there are four routes:

one on each side of the water within the

enclosure, with devious paths amidstpleasant shrubberies, each conducting

into the roads. The road in the north is

bounded by Carlton House Terrace, by Marlborough House, by St. Jamess Palace and by

1Kemp E., 1851. The Parks, Gardens etc. of London and its Suburbs Described and Illustrated for the Guidance

of Strangers. Published byJohn Weale, 59, High Holporn, London, England, p. 9-11.

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Stafford House. The southern road is bounded by Queen Square, the Wellington Barracks and

the Stationary Office. From Buckingham Palace, the road leads up to Constitution Hill. The

paths through the Green Park conduct into Piccadilly or to the gate near triumphal arch at Hyde

Park Corner, which is surmounted by the colossal equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington.

This park is conspicuous for its fine sheet of water which is kept full and pure from a

supply from several water-works and is much enlivened by an extensive collection of aquatic

birds, belonging to the Ornithological Society, which are a constant source of interest and

amusement to the public. The eastern end of the lake

is well masked by a long island, which is almost

entirely clothed with willows. There is also here a

Swiss Cottage belonging to the Ornithological

Society and use as a residence of their keeper. There

is a fountain at the western end opposite

Buckingham Palace. The margins of the water, on

the northern side, there is a gravel walk for some

distance and being unprotected against the action of

winds, forms a hard and disagreeable line.1

Numerous walks conduct the pedestrians

between the new plantations and along the side of

the water, but the public also, has free access to the

grass in all parts. In addition to a considerable number of fine old elms, there is a large collection

of ornamental trees and shrubs in the younger plantations, and most of the rare kinds have their

names, native country, year of introduction and tribe to which they belong written on iron labels.

The borders are also filled with all kinds of plants.

Among the tree which thrive best here is the Western Plane which is in a remarkablehealthy and flourishing state and retains its greenness during the driest summer weather, as well

as late in the autumn. The White Polar is also very thriving and there are many excellent Thorns

1 Kemp E., 1851. The Parks, Gardens etc. of London and its Suburbs Described and Illustrated for the Guidance

of Strangers. Published byJohn Weale, 59, High Holporn, London, England, p. 9-11.

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of various kinds, Hollies, Pyruses and Ailanthus glandulosus. In point of effect and keeping the

superiority in the plants, the south side of the lake is the best.1

On the other side of the park there was a place of resort preferred by the lodgers:

Spring Garden and Mulberry Garden. The last one was planted by orders of James I who

attempted in 1608 to produce silk in England and to that end imported hundred thousand

mulberry trees from France.

With the restoration of Charles II, begin the era of the parks existence as a public

haunt. The design according to which the park was laid out has been generally attributed to Le

Notre. The park exhibited long rows of young elms and lime-trees fenced round with palings to

protect them from injuries. Such rows exist in front of the old Horse Guards and another one

following the line of the canals. These are occasionally relieved by some fine old trees as in

Tempests view.

The elegance of the park,

with the attractions of the rare animals

and the mall for the gamesters,

rendered it immediately the favourite

haunt of the court. The mall received

its name from a game at ball: Pall

Mall.2

The principal

circumstances worthy to notice in this

park is the glimpses or views which are obtained in walking about it, of some many noble

architectural objects, to which the old elm trees from such varied and excellent foregrounds

supports or frames. In no other place are so many striking combinations of this kind produces.

From several of the London bridges, a far greater variety of objects may be taking in at a glance.

As seen from this park, there are the towers of Westminster Abbey, which are well introduced

and well accompanied from so many points; the House of Parliament; the Buckingham Palace as

1Brady J., 1838.A New Pocket Guide to London and its Environs. Published byJohn W. Parker, West Strand,

London, UK, p. 71-72.

2Nicholson L., 1998.London. Published by Abbeville Press, 22 Cortland Street, New York, USA, p. 56-58.

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viewed from the east end of the lake, near the Swiss Cottage, the entire length of the lake

stretching out between the palace and the observer; the Duke of Yorks and Nelsons Columns;

with Carlton Terrace, Marlborough House and a variety of other mansions. Even inferior houses

or such as have no greater architectural pretensions, acquire a character, and make pleasing parts

of a picture, when they appear half shrouded with venerable trees.

On the other side of the park is the Mall, which is composed of four broad avenues of

trees, three of which are appropriated to pedestrians only. One of these avenues conducts to the

centre of Buckingham Palace, which is thus advantageously seen at the end of the long vista.

Beneath the trees forming these avenues, which are elms, limes and planes, there are a great

number of seats provided for the public use.

St. Jamess Park was intimately associated with anecdotes of the private life of

Charles II. Cibber wrote that his indolent amusement of playing with his dogs and feeding his

ducks in St. Jamess Park made the common people adore him. Also, the beauties of St.

Jamess Park could be found in literature where the park was a muse for the poets that dedicated

beautiful poems to it. For example, The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal (1823)

printed the following poem:1

1January June, 1823. The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal. Vol. V, Published by Oliver Everett,

13 Cornhill, Boston, USA, p. 507

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St James's Park provides habitats for a variety of different species of fauna. The

parks lake is home to 15 different species of waterfowl, including pelicans, who were

introduced to the park in the mid 1600s.

The park welcomes more than 5.5 million visitors per year and has become quite

popular with the movie industry. Visitors can often view film crews shooting.

In addition to St Jamess Palace, two other palaces skirt the park - Westminster, the

oldest; and Buckingham Palace, where monarchs have resided since 1837.

St. James's Park is located in the heart of London, right near Whitehall and Downing

Street. Nearby are popular sites like the Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey.

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Most visitors simply

enjoy strolling through the park,

watching the wildlife. Theres also

a childrens playground for the

little ones and deck chairs for

relaxing in the warm summer

months. Ceremonial parades and

important national events are often

held at the adjoining avenue known

as The Mall.

Conclusion

The Royal Parks of London were owned by the monarchy of England or the United

Kingdom for the recreation of the royal family. With increasing urbanisation of London, some of

these were preserved as freely accessible open space and became public parks. There are today

eight parks formally described by this name: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park,

Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park, Richmond Park and St. James's Park.

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Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (which are adjacent), Regent's Park and St

James's Park are the largest green spaces in central London. One of the Royal Parks of London,

Greenwich Park is a former deer-park in Greenwich and one of the largest single green spaces in

south east London. Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England, and one of

the Royal Parks of London. For other meanings, Regents Park, officially The Regents Park is one

of the Royal Parks of London.

All Londons Royal Parks are managed by the Royal Parks Agency and are policed

by the Metropolitan Police. The previous force policing the parks, the Royal Parks Constabulary,

was abolished in April 2004. The main form of funding for the Royal Parks is a central

government grant. This contrasts with most of London's other parks, which are funded by local

borough councils. The Royal Parks Agency generates additional income from commercial

activities such as catering and staging public events such as concerts. Metropolitan Police

redirects here. The Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC) is the police force responsible for the eight

Royal Parks of London and a number of other locations in London, England.

Bibliography

Brady J., 1838.A New Pocket Guide to London and its Environs. Published byJohn W. Parker,West Strand, London, UK.

Kemp E., 1851. The Parks, Gardens etc. of London and its Suburbs Described and Illustratedfor the Guidance of Strangers. Published byJohn Weale, 59, High Holporn, London,

England.

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29/29

Lambert B., 1806.The History and Survey of London and its Environs. From the earliest periodto the present time. Vol. III, Published by Dewick and Clark, Aldresgate Street,

London, England.

Nicholson L., 1998.London. Published by Abbeville Press, 22 Cortland Street, New York, USA.

Porter D., 2010.Frommers London 2010. Wiley Publishing Inc., New Jersey, USA.

Rev. Lysons D., The Environs of London: Being a Historical Account of the Towns, Villagesand Hamlets, within Twelve Miles of the Capital: Interspersed with Biographical

anecdotes. Vol. I, Part II, the 2nd edition, London, England.

Smith R., 1836.The Friend. A religious and Literary Journal. Vol. IX, Published by AdamWaldie, Philadelphia, USA.

Walford E., 1878. Old and New London: Volume 4. Published by Centre for Metropolitan

History, London, England.

January June, 1823. The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal. Vol. V, Published byOliver Everett, 13 Cornhill, Boston, USA.

July - December 1839.Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine. Vol. XLVI, Published by WilliamBlackwood and sons, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Royal Parks. Londons Personal Space. [online] Available at:http://www.royalparks.org.uk/ , [accessed 1 may 2010].
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/http://www.royalparks.org.uk/

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