Hyde Park

Park in
Hyde Park image
Address
, W2 3XA
Telephone
0300 061 2000
Category
Parks
Nearest Station
Lancaster Gate
0.49 miles

Hyde Park was London's first park and was given to London by King James I in the early seventeenth century. The land used to belong to Westminster Abbey but Henry VIII claimed the land in the sixteenth century and it became a Royal hunting ground. The wife of King George II was a keen gardener and it was her scheme to damn the river and create the artificial lake known as the Serpentine. The Serpentine is still used today as a popular boating lake, and more recently
the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain has become a much loved feature of the park where children and big kids alike, paddle on warmer days!

Hyde Park was the venue for the Great Exhibition in 1852. A huge glass building known as the Crystal Palace was assembled for the exhibition between the Serpentine and the Prince of Wales Gate. The Crystal Palace was disassembled and moved to South London, where the area is still known as Crystal Palace today. A horse racing track known as ‘Rotten Row’ was created by William III and is still present in Hyde Park.

During summer months Sunday concerts are held at the Bandstand and Hyde Park has been the venue for several large scale outdoor performances. Near Marble Arch on the North East corner of Hyde Park is Speakers Corner, a forum for free speech where on Sunday mornings in particular, you can hear many different people sharing their views on all manner of subjects!

Every morning the Household Cavalry ride through Hyde Park on the way from Hyde Park Barracks to Buckingham Palace.

Hyde Park Picture Gallery

Hyde Park Picture

Events

Hyde Park Nursery Experience

Hyde Park

Friday 19th of April 2024

Best For

The best places in London to make a wedding proposal picture

The best places in London to make a wedding proposal

We offer some location suggestions

London has a number of boating lakes where you could stage the ultimate proposal. There’s Victoria Park, Hyde Park and Dulwich Park to name a few. Take aboard some champagne, take charge of the oars and row yourselves towards a blessed future of love and happiness together.

Things to Try

Go skating in the park picture

Go skating in the park

If the kids down on Southbank can do it, why can’t you?
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