London Parks and Gardens
An A-Z of parks and gardens to visit in London
Outer London
Battersea Park,
SW11
This park by the river has sub-tropical and wildflower gardens, a deer
park, a miniature railway for children, and a small zoo. Battersea
Park in Depth >>
Bushy Park
The double-row of enormous chestnut trees planted by Christopher Wren
strike the only formal note in the otherwise delightfully informal Bushy
Park. Langford River, in the park, was built by order of Charles I as
a source of water for Hampton Court. Bushy
Park in Depth >>
Crystal Palace Park,
SE19
The 200 acre park is named after the iron and glass exhibition hall
built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was moved
here in 1854, but burned down in 1936. There are excellent sports facilities
in the park.
Epping Forest
This 12 mile belt of green is a forlorn remnant of the vast forest which
once covered all of southern England. The northern section is thick
with trees, punctuated by wide green parkland. There is a sanctuary
for black fallow deer, and livestock graze in the woods. There is a
museum of the area's natural history in Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge,
a half-timbered 15th century house.
Greenwich Park
Charles II commissioned Andre Le Notre, designer of Versailles,
to formalise the hunting park at Greenwich. Much of the treed park is
Le Notre's work, but there is also the small Wilderness, home to a herd
of fallow deeer, and a large play area. The former Royal observatory
is on the western edge of the park, while to the south is Queen's House,
and the Royal Naval College.
Hampton Court
The gardens of Hampton Court Palace have everything; superb formal
gardens of great variety, and open parkland. There is the famous hedge
maze, a Tudor knot garden, Rose Garden, Privy Garden, and Herb Garden,
to name just a few. Hampton Court is also home to a yearly flower festival.
Holland Park,
W8
Until recently this was the private garden of Holland House, there are
formal flowerbeds of tulips and roses, yucca and irises. Formal paths
give this garden a very businesslike air.
Kew Gardens
Three hundred acres of botanical delights grace Kew Gardens. The gardens
were once royal property, but opened to the public in 1841. The Palm
House is a wonder of glass, and other Victorian greenhouses are home
to a vast variety of exotic plants from around the world.
Morden Hall Park
Morden Hall Road, Morden, London SM4 5JD, Tel 020 8545 6850,
Fax 020 8687 0094
This oasis in the heart of suburbia covers over 50ha (125 acres) of
parkland with the River Wandle meandering through. There is an old Snuff
Mill, now an environmental centre and a variety of bridges traversing
the river. The park has hay meadows, old estate buildings and an impressive
rose garden with over 2000 roses. The workshops house local craftworkers
and there is also an independently run garden centre and a city farm.
This property is owned by The National Trust. website
Osterly Park,
Osterly
There are formal gardens around the house at Osterley, designed by Robert
Adam, and parkland carefully landscaped to look natural. Over 100 acres
of countyside seclusion in the midst of urban London.
Richmond Park
Deer wander through this former royal estate, enclosed by Charles
I. King Henry's Mound was built so that Henry could watch the deer being
hunted. There are ponds for model boating and angling, and a variety
of exotic shrubs and flowers.
Syon Park, Isleworth
Across the Thames from Kew Gardens lies Britain's first gardening
centre at Syon Park. The park itself was laid out by Capability Brown,
but the centrepiece is the glass Conservatory, with superb tropical
plants.
See also
Parks and Gardens
in Inner London
Text © David Ross and Britain Express 2003 |
