Green Park Covers 19 hectares (47 acres) and is quite different from its nearby neighbour, St James's Park. It's more peaceful, with mature trees and grassland and bordered by Constitution Hill, Piccadilly and Queen's Walk.

The park's primary role is as a peaceful refuge for people living, working or visiting Central London, and is particularly popular for sunbathing and picnics in fine weather. This picnic may well be a sandwich, drink and bag of crisps from Pret, rather than a wicker-basket affair, but the principle is the same. It is also popular as a healthy walking route to work for commuters. The paths are used extensively by joggers and runners.

The Green Park was enclosed by Charles II in 1668, stocked with deer and provided with a ranger's house. It was known as Upper St James's Park but by 1746 it was called The Green Park. Various improvements at the beginning of the 18th century made it more of a pleasure garden. The Tyburn Pool was built, and in the 1720s a reservoir was made to supply water to St James's Palace and Buckingham House. This reservoir was called the Queen's Basin, and with the adjacent Queen's Walk, planted in 1730, soon became a fashionable venue. The Park was opened to the general public in 1826. Unfortunately, The Ranger's Lodge, the Queen's Library, the Queen's Basin and the Tyburn Pool had all been demolished by 1855.

It was a notorious spot for highwaymen to lurk in, and if you wanted to get robbed in Regency London, there was nowhere better to wander. This lawless fringe continued right up until the occupancy of Buckingham Palace, which spurred building projects along Piccadilly, making it less attractive as a bolthole. Highwaymen moved out further beyond Hyde Park.

The Green Park is open all day all year round.

Tube:

Green Park - Jubilee, Victoria & Piccadilly Lines
Hyde Park Corner - Piccadilly Line.

 

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