Kensington Gardens, once part of the private gardens ofKensington Palace, are now among theRoyal Parks of London and largely open to the public. The gardens are shared by theCity of Westminster and theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west ofHyde Park, inwest London. The gardens cover an area of 107 hectares (265 acres).[1] The open spaces of Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park,Green Park, andSt. James's Park together form an almost continuous "green lung" in the heart ofLondon. Kensington Gardens are Grade I listed on theRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens.[2]
Kensington Gardens are generally regarded as being the western extent of the neighbouring Hyde Park from which they were originally taken, with West Carriage Drive (The Ring) and the Serpentine Bridge forming the boundary between them. The Gardens are fenced and more formal than Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens are open only during the hours of daylight, whereas Hyde Park is open from 5 am until midnight all year round.
Kensington Gardens has been long regarded as "smart" because of its more private character around Kensington Palace. However, in the late 19th century, Hyde Park was considered more "fashionable", because of its location nearer toPark Lane andKnightsbridge.[3]
Kensington Gardens was originally the western section ofHyde Park, which had been created byHenry VIII in 1536 to use as a hunting ground. Beginning underQueen Anne, it was designed byHenry Wise andCharles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, with fashionable features including theRound Pond,[4] formal avenues and a sunkenDutch garden.[5] It was separated from the remainder of Hyde Park in 1728 at the request ofQueen Caroline.[6]
Bridgeman created theSerpentine between 1726 and 1731[4] by damming the eastern outflow of theRiver Westbourne from Hyde Park.[7] The part of the Serpentine that lies within Kensington Gardens is known as "The Long Water".[4] At its north-western end (originally the inflow of the River Westbourne), in an area known as "The Italian Garden", there are four fountains and a number of classical sculptures. At the foot of the Italian Gardens is a parish boundary marker, delineating the boundary betweenPaddington and St George Hanover Square parishes, on the exact centre of theWestbourne river. Kensington Gardens were opened to the public in 1841.
The land surrounding Kensington Gardens was predominantly rural and remained largely undeveloped until theGreat Exhibition in 1851. Many of the original features survive along with the Palace, and there are other public buildings such as theAlbert Memorial (at the south-east corner of Kensington Gardens, opposite theRoyal Albert Hall), Queen Caroline's Temple, theSerpentine Gallery, andSpeke's monument. Queen Victoria had commissioned the Italian Gardens and the Albert Memorial during a series of improvements.
Another feature is the bronze statue ofPeter Pan byGeorge Frampton standing on a pedestal covered with climbing squirrels, rabbits and mice. It is also home to theDiana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground and a seven-mileMemorial Walk. Astatue of Queen Victoria sculpted by her daughter, Princess Louise, to celebrate 50 years of her mother's rule stands outside Kensington Palace.[8] The park also contains theElfin Oak, an elaborately carved 900-year-old tree stump.
In his 1722 poemKensington Garden,Thomas Tickell depicted the area as inhabited by fairies.[9]
The park is the setting ofJ. M. Barrie's bookPeter Pan in Kensington Gardens, a prelude to the character's famous adventures inNeverland.[10] Both the book and the character are honoured with thePeter Pan statue byGeorge Frampton located in the park.
Rodrigo Fresán's novelKensington Gardens concerns in part the life of J. M. Barrie and of his creationPeter Pan, and their relationship with the park, as well as the narrator's own.
The opening scene ofWilkie Collins’s story "Mrs. Zant and the Ghost" (1887) takes place in Kensington Gardens – the section that "remains nearest to the old Palace of Kensington."
TheInfocominteractive fiction gameTrinity begins in the Kensington Gardens. The player can walk around many sections of the gardens, which are described in moderate detail.[citation needed]
%2c_London.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
51°30′26″N0°10′49″W / 51.50722°N 0.18028°W /51.50722; -0.18028
