I went for a walk in the leafy residential area around the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London and passed through the gates of the West entrance of Holland Park. There’s a large grassy area at the centre of which is a sculpture containing two large tortoises and a triangular sun dial – a play on time.
Taking a side path, which was more than a little muddy from the rain, I entered a wonderful forest. The surrounding greenery, the smell of damp earth and the bird song made it hard to believe that this is in the centre of London. There are numerous paths and it is secluded – I don’t think I passed anyone else as I meandered around the trees and plants in a tumble of wilderness. Walking a little further I came upon some gentle steps which took me to the stunning Kyoto Gardens – designed by a Japanese designer to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992. It evoked memories of one of my favourite places in Tokyo – Happo-en (meaning "beautiful from every angle”) Gardens. There’s a waterfall, a large pond containing huge koi and ducks and surrounded by rocks and pebbles and carefully placed trees and plants. You can feel the tranquillity seep into your bones.
After a moment of contemplation, I descended some more steps and wandered over towards the cloisters and clock tower near the orangery, walking through a walled garden with raised beds of flowers and roses. The smell of the lavender bushes was overwhelming. There are large tents and hospitality areas for the many concerts that are held here and I passed some peacocks on the way.
There are tea rooms and, in a secure gated area, a large play area for the under fives. There’s a huge area for sand based activities and numerous swings and climbing frames. And not too far away are playing fields and tennis courts for older children.
I wandered along some more paths – admiring yet more greenery - and came to a statue of a boy with a bear cub. There’s an ecology area here and some toilets. There’s also the Belvedere restaurant in a red bricked building with marvellous windows. I’m told that the interior has an interesting mezzanine floor.
And then there is a large adventure playground for older children (up to 14 years of age) with an assortment of climbing frames, aerial slides, boat shaped play areas, bouncing rope constructions and – thank goodness – plenty of covered areas where parents can escape from the rain.
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/leisureandlibraries/parksandgardens/yourlocalpark/hollandpark.aspx
