Hunting grounds to green lungs: the Royal Parks, the back story

About Hunting grounds to green lungs: the Royal Parks, the back story

By the ULTIMATE London Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

London is one of the greenest big cities in the world, and its eight Royal Parks, once hunting grounds of the monarchs, are at the heart of that.

Royal hunting grounds

Henry VIII took over land west of Westminster for hunting in the 16th century, and later monarchs opened it to the public. St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens now form a chain of green from Westminster to Kensington.

The central parks

The Regent’s Park was laid out by John Nash in the early 19th century, with Primrose Hill to the north. Each park has its own character: pelicans in St James’s, the Serpentine in Hyde Park, Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens.

You can walk from Westminster to Kensington almost entirely on grass.

The great outer parks

Greenwich Park climbs to the Royal Observatory, while Richmond Park and Bushy Park, in the south-west, are vast deer parks of grassland and ancient trees.

Using the parks

The parks are open daily, with gate times for those that close at night. In the deer parks, keep at least 50 metres from the deer. Deckchairs, boating and cafés appear in summer.

Our advice: walk from Buckingham Palace through Green Park and Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens on a sunny morning, then save a trip to Richmond Park for the deer.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Hunting grounds to green lungs: the Royal Parks, the back story before you go.