Buttercup to London 2015: London's Parks

Where we are living in Kensington which is to the west of the city there is a string of beautiful parks which almost join each other all the way to London. It's hard to say we favour one over the other because they are all special in their own way.

HOLLAND PARK ~ Five minutes walk away

The closest one to us is Holland Park which is about 22 hectares, an enormous area considering its location in the city. It's a very quiet park in that the noises of the city traffic are a mere drone in the distance. The northern half of the park is natural woodland, the central section near the ruins of Holland House is more formal with several garden areas, and the southernmost section is used for sport. The park is the site of the ruins of Holland House which was hit by bombs during the second world war. Elsewhere in the park is an Orangery, a giant chess set, a cricket pitch, tennis courts, a youth hostel and a beautiful Japanese garden called the Kyoto Garden. There's a children's playground, squirrels and peacocks. The remains of the house form a backdrop for the open air Holland Park Theatre, which is the home of Holland Park Opera. There's a huge project going on at the moment - but I haven't found out what it is yet.

The park is named after Lord Holland who became a Lord at age one when his father died in 1774. He entered the House of Lords in 1796 where he remained, dying in office in 1840! His statue is surrounded by a pond.

Holland Park wildlife - a hungry heron

And an inquisitive squirrel

The Kyoto Garden

And after a snowfall

Our friend Renate, visiting from Munich, in front of the monument to
Lord Holland complete with a pigeon on his head!

KENSINGTON GARDENS ~ 10 minutes walk away

This park is beautiful. At the western end Kensington Palace sits overlooking the length of it past a statue of the young Queen Victoria and over the Round Pond, through to the Long Water and Serpentine which divides this park and Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens covers an area of 111 ha and lies between Kensington High Street and Bayswater Rd.

The immediate area of the palace has numerous embassies from around the world. It houses the most expensive houses in London. There are many features in the gardens including the Lady Diana Memorial Fountain which is stunning, the Italian Garden, four fountains, classical sculptures and the children's playground.