At 1.5 miles long and about a mile wide, Hyde Park is one of the largest of London's Royal Parks. The land was appropriated in 1536 from the monks of Westminster Abbey by Henry VIII for hunting deer and, despite opening to the public in the early 1600s, was only frequented by the upper echelons of society. London's oldest boating lake, The Serpentine, is at the bottom of Hyde Park. It's not especially beautiful but is home to ducks, coots, swans and tufty-headed grebes, and is also of great historic interest. It was a hotspot for mass demonstrations in the nineteenth century and remains so today. The legalisation of public assembly in the park led to the establishment of Speakers' Corner in 1872 (close to Marble Arch tube), where political and religious ranters – sane and otherwise – still have the floor. The park perimeter is popular with skaters, as well as with bike riders and horse riders. If you're exploring on foot and the vast expanses defeat you, look out for the Liberty Drives (May-Oct). Driven by volunteers (there's no fare, but offer a donation if you can), these electric buggies pick up groups of sightseers and ferry them around. The Joy of Life fountain, next to Aldford Street North Gate, alongside Park Lane, is a popular spot for splashing around in when the weather heats up.
Get stuck into some seasonal nature-themed activities at this Hyde Park discovery day for children of all ages. Stick your hands into creepy 'feely boxes', make an owl mask, learn about hibernating hedgehogs and make a potion using natural ingredients. Fancy dress is encouraged. The event is free but places should be booked in advance on the Royal Parks website.
Each year, Hyde Park gets transformed from pretty park to Winter Wonderland. The annual favourite returns in 2024 for its seventeenth year, bringing a sleigh-load of festive fun with it. As you make your way around the space, you’ll find fairground rides, a child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa’s Grotto, where presents may be waiting) and traditional Christmas markets where you’ll be able to buy gifts for all your loved ones. Other highlights include circuses and, of course, the biggest outdoor ice rink in the UK. It surrounds the Victorian bandstand and is lit up by more than 100,000 lights – if that doesn’t get you feeling festival, nothing will, especially as your ears will be full of Christmas tunes as you glide around the ice. There’s also the Real Ice Slide and ice scultpting workshops, so get ready to get frosty. Warm yourself up later with frothing steins at the German-style Bavarian Village. The usual line-up of rollercoasters and fairground rides is sure to keep thrill-seekers happy. A good alternative for those who prefer to stay on solid ground is the selection of themed bars with real fires, except for the Bar Ice (for obvious structural reasons), where even the glasses you drink from are made of ice. If you’re skating, be aware that while there’s no minimum age for skaters, under-12s must be accompanied by someone 16 or over and the smallest skates for h
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