London Parks St James's ParkSt. James's Park
St James's Park is situated in the heart of London and covers 23 hectares (58 acres). St James's runs alongside the Mall, the setting for ceremonial 
parades and national celebrations. Three royal palaces border St. James's Park. The Palace of Westminster, usually referred to as the Houses of Parliament. St. James's Palace which was the seat of the reigning monarch until it was superseded by the third - Buckingham Palace in 1837.
Wildlife
Duck Island is the home to wild ducks and assorted bird life, including: gulls, swans, geese and pelicans. Some rarer visitors are the golden eye, carrion crows, grey wagtail and shovelers.
Band concerts (lunchtime and early evening from the end of May to end of August) are popular and pelican feeding occurs every day at 2:30pm.
Visitors
St James's Park is likely to be the first park you'll encounter when visiting the centre of town. It separates Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace and 10 Downing Street - so tourist hordes do congregate here. However it's still popular with Londoners, especially as a good place to sit under a tree and have a sandwich at lunchtime. There are too many nearby attractions to list - but The National Gallery, Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey are just a few minutes walk away.
Notoriously lewd during its early years, it was a popular spot for a bit of 'outdoor fun' - with its bushes and trees hiding all manner of vice. These days it's a good place to hang out for a breather. You can take a park hike from here, travelling diagonally through Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens - all the way to Queensway Tube, completely surrounded by grass and trees.
The park is open from 5am to midnight all year round.
Nearest Tube: St. James's Park – District & Circle Lines.
