London has a great number and variety of parks. The most popular ones are listed below.
Hyde Park – Hyde Park is one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the Royal Parks of London. The park is divided in two by the Serpentine. It has something for everyone, including swimming, boating, cycling and skating. There are pitches for team games, tennis courts, tracks for horse riding and a spectacular children’s playground. It also has two lakeside restaurants. If you’re out and about on Sunday, head to Speaker’s Corner to hear London’s most vocal orators share their opinions with the world. Due to its size, there are a number of underground stations near it, including Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Bayswater, Queensway, Lancaster Gate, High Street Kensington.
Another popular London park is Green Park. It lies between London’s Hyde Park and St. James’s Park. It has mature trees and grassland and is surrounded by Constitution Hill, Piccadilly and the Broad Walk. It is particularly popular for sunbathing and picnics in fine weather. The paths are used extensively by joggers and runners. Nearest underground is Green Park.
Adjacent to the Green Park is St. James’s Park. Inside the park you can see St. James’s Palace that was originally built on the site of a lepers` hospital. It is the home of Duke and Duchess of Kent as well as offices for various other royals.. Short walk from the Palace you will emerge on to Parliament Square and see splendour of the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Nearest underground is Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.
The Regent’s Park is the largest grass area for sports in Central London . Situated in northwest London, this park can offer you a wide variety of activities. It is also a home to an Open Theatre, the London Zoo, Regent’s College, as well as many cafes and restaurants. There is also a lake where you can rent a boat
It is also a home to the biggest Mosque in London. Nearest underground stations are: Regent’s Park, Great Portland Street, Baker Street, St. John’s Wood, Camden Town.
Close to Regents park there is a small park called Primrose Hill Park. It is particularly popular during the summer months. It offers a beautiful view of central London another beautiful park is Hampstead Heath. With a choice of going by tube to Hampstead, Belsize Park or taking a train to Hampstead Heath you can have really enjoyable day walking and sightseeing. The park is fairly large and you can even swim in some of the ponds. The ponds inside the park are surrounded with bushes and trees and if you like fishing there is a chance to do so. People with younger children can pay a small amount to professional anglers who will take a charge of your young ones.
The last three London parks are slightly further away from central London but well worth visiting
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is one of the world’s leading botanic garden comprising over 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London. It has the world’s largest collection of living plants. The living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the herbarium, which is one of the largest in the world, has over seven million preserved plant specimens. Kew Gardens can be reached by train and underground via Kew Gardens and Richmond stations. Open from: daily 9:30am-7:30pm or dusk. Tel: 0208 332 5655.
Not far away from Kew Gardens you can find Syon Park. There are fairs organised by local people few times a year. This park has a small Butterfly House.
Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain’s second largest urban walled park. It covers 2,360 acres (9.55 km2; 3.69 sq mi). It It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen. The park is famous for its red and fallow deer, which number over six hundred. It can be reached by train and underground via Richmond station.
