People come from all over the world to see London. And what do they visit? – The Royal Parks

Sunday 8th June 2025, 1pm

Buckingham Palace across the formal gardens

Granted there are more Royal Parks than just those in the city centre – all these – but the central parks are the ones we were visiting on this summer walk.

It’s a chance to see the city as others see it. We met at Trafalgar Square, ducked between guards at Horseguards Parade, and stepped around the fountains of St James’s Park to Buckingham Palace. Then through Green Park into Hyde Park which has many memorials to Princess Diana, until Kensington Palace. There was much to enjoy in terms of green space, glorious vistas, plants and plantings, and places to relax and enjoy the sun. We continued to Holland Park and Kyota Garden.

Meeting place: beneath Lord Nelson’s column, Trafalgar Square
Arrive by train: Bakerloo line. Quite nearby: Charing Cross station, Piccadilly
Date & time: Sunday June 8th 2025, 1 pm
Distance: 4.9 miles
End point: Holland Park
Map: Komoot map click to view, Google map
Contact: email tim.ingram-smith@outlook.com  mobile: 077932 00932
Cost: £8 per adult walker PAY HERE https://paypal.me/parktopark

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Gallery

David Charnick leading a walk into St James’s Park

Horseguards parade

The Mall looking west to the palace

Heron in St James’s Park

The bridge over the lake offers a fine view of the palace, and it may be replaced by a glass tiara by Norman Foster

Looking east along the lake to the turrets of Whitehall

Buckingham Palace in June

Tree lined avenue in Green Park

Formal hedges on the edge of Green Park

The Diana Walk in Hyde Park

Rose garden Hyde Park

Hyde Park weeping beech

Inside the weeping beech, Fagus sylvatica

Hyde Park alliums in May

Hyde Park alliums in June

Diana ‘fountain’ Hyde Park

Westminster Extra newspaper article on Marina Tabassum, designer of the 2025 Pavilion, inspired by the tradition of “park-going” …larger image

Golden tree by Giuseppe Penone, Serpentine Gallery …more

More photos to come, of Kensington Gardens

Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall, from Hyde Park

Bandstand Kensington gardens

Entrance to the Diana lime tunnel

Sunken garden, Kensington Gardens

Statue of Diana Princess of Wales

Carp kites signifying springtime in Japan. Kyoto Garden, Holland Park

Photos by Elliott Jack:

Map

Map: Komoot – click to view, Google maps

This Walk

Sunday 8th June 2025 – St James Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens & Holland Park

Walks Coming Up

Sunday 13th July 2025 – Wanstead Parks Oases

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Previous Walks

Sunday 11th May 2025 – River Crane to Richmond Lock with artist Nicki Rolls

Sunday 13th April 2025 – Hackney Downs, Springfield Park and Clapton Common