Description: St. James’ Park is the grass area which lies between The Mall and Birdcage Walk, with Buckingham Palace at one end and Horse Guards Parade at the other. It’s smaller than many of the central London parks – only some 95 acres in area. It was created by Henry VII, who fenced in the area to create a deer park for his own benefit. In some ways it was always a more public Royal area than some – Elizabeth I held jousting contests and public fairs here during her reign, for example. It was laid out in its current state by George IV in the 1820s; this is when the lake was created and flower beds designed. Along with many other of Henry’s hunting grounds, it is now a Royal Park, open to the public.
The Mall is the road which leads from Admiralty Arch, at the side of Trafalgar Square, to Buckingham Palace. It’s a very wide road, lined with mature trees and a wonderful perspective of the Palace at the far end – it’s the main route down which the Queen processes when she’s opening Parliament or attending other state occasions. Birdcage Walk, on the other side of the park, is the route from the Palace to Parliament Square, and is an equally pleasant walk.
The park itself is mostly grass, with a large, irregularly formed lake in the middle. The park used to be a swampy area, until the land was drained into the lake in the middle, where ducks are now overfed by children and other visitors; pelicans are also a highly visible feature. Around the edges especially, there are some gorgeous flower beds with lots of red and yellow tulips in particular. The architecture around the Park is stunning, and makes this a great place to relax and take in the view, apart from its advantage in being between some of the many tourist sites in London! Anyone walking from the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on a pleasant day would be well advised to stop here for a while and rest. Along the Mall are various elegant neo-Classical buildings, called "Barracks" but much more elegant than the image the word conjures up. There are three palaces boadering on the park – Westminster Palace (Parliament), Buckingham Palace (the Queen’s home) and St. James’ Palace (the Queen’s offical residence – ambassadors to the UK are sent to the Court of St. James). Clarence House is also nearby – until March 2002 this was the home of the Queen Mother, and it’s not clear what will happen to it now; perhaps the Prince of Wales will move there.
The nearest tube is St. James's Park or Westminster (District and Circle lines).
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