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London Olympics Information » Venues » Hyde Park » About Hyde Park
About Hyde Park
Official site
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde_park/
Capacity: 3,000
Location: W2
Status
A 3,000-seater temporary grandstand near the finishing area will be set up in 2012, and the Serpentine Lake will be used for the swimming leg of the Triathlon.
About Hyde Park
Hyde Park, although it is at the centre of London, makes one forget about its geographical location due to its abundant greenery and natural scenery which includes 4,000 trees, a lake and a meadow. The Serpentine Lake bisects the park into two. Hyde Park extends up to Kensington Gardens in the west and Mayfair to the east. One of its most notable features is the Speaker's Corner, situated at the north-eastern corner, where a soap box orator can speak on any subject however controversial and the police are generally tolerant. Hudson Bird Sanctuary is situated to the north of Serpentine Lake.
As per the earliest records, Henry VIII, after acquiring the park from the monks of Westminster Abbey, used it as a hunting ground. It was James I who permitted a limited access of the Hyde Park to the public. Charles I became the King of England in 1625, and he constructed the Ring, a circular track which was then used by the royal court to drive around the park in carriages. He opened the park to public in 1937. A civil strife followed after the execution of Charles I which lasted till 1660, when Charles II was made the king and monarchy restored. He brought the deer into the park again and re-designated it as a royal park. When William III and Mary II came to power, they brought about significant changes in the park. They made Kensington Palace their residence and constructed a road through the Hyde Park connecting the palace to Westminster. This promenade is called the Rotten Row or Route en Roi.
Serpentine Lake is an artificial lake which is used for boating in the summer and skating in the winter. Queen Caroline, wife of George II was instrumental in creating the Serpentine Lake in 1730.
Hyde Park remained the same till 1820 when King George IV employed the services of a prominent architect and garden designer, Decimus Burton, for the construction of the impressive Triumphal Screen at the entrance and the Wellington Arch, which now resides at the middle of roundabout at Hyde Park Corner. Many lodges in the park were also built during this period. Decimus Burton's other prominent works include the buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo. Near the Wellington Arch is the statue of Achilles which was installed in honour of the Duke of Wellington's famous victories.
Some time later a Scottish civil engineer named John Rennie built a bridge across the Serpentine to carry the newly built West Carriage Drive separating Hyde Park from Kensington Gardens. The water body to the east is the Serpentine Lake, and the western part beyond the bridge is called the Long water.
Adding to the visual delight are many large fountains. The most famous amongst them is the Diana Memorial Fountain with a circular ring of flowing water. It is situated on the southern shore of the Serpentine near West Carriage Drive. The design of the fountain and the flow for water symbolically depict Princess Diana's life and her love for children. The integrated structure was set together by assembling 545 Cornish marble pieces cut with computerised precision. Earlier children were allowed to play in the cascading water, but now the access inside the ring is prohibited.
It is a great place for outdoor entertainment, recreation and sport activities. A rectangular area in the lake called the Serpentine Lido is where one can have a leisurely swim. Boating in the Serpentine is another favourite relaxing activity amongst the visitors. Between the South Carriage Drive and the Rotten Row is an area called 'The Sports Field' which is used mainly for sports such as football, touch rugby and Frisbee. Hyde Park also has a Tennis & Sports Centre which offers high quality tennis facilities and coaching courses. One can also enjoy horse riding at the Manege arena or North Ride and South Ride, two routes designated for horse riding.
The floral splendour of the Hyde Park is further complimented by a wide variety of fauna which includes Long Tailed Tits, robins, song birds and pigeons which seem happily adapted for this habitat. Wild fowls are a regular feature at the
Serpentine Lake. Visitors might also chance upon a black swan, a buzzard or an odd Egyptian Geese.
With so many visual attractions, it is no surprise that Hyde Park has featured in a lot of movies starting from the David Lean classic, This Happy Breed, to the more recent 2005 flick, Stormbreaker.
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