When visiting London for a holiday one of the things that you really must do is to visit Hyde Park. Together with Kensington Gardens adjoining it on the west, it is the largest green space in London and measures 1.25 miles east to west and half a mile north to south. Henry VIII took it over in 1536 and made it a Royal deer park, but it was opened to the public 99 years later in 1635 by Charles I. It includes the Serpentine lake which is used for swimming and boating, and on the north side of it is a bird sanctuary.
The main entrance to the park is called Grand Entrance and is a triple archway built in 1828. Close by is a statue of Achilles cast from captured French cannon and erected in honour of the Duke of Wellington. You can also see the Diana Memorial Fountain.
Close to the park is the Albert Memorial erected for the consort of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert. He is seated holding a copy of the catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851, under a canopy towering 190’ into the sky.
On the north east corner of the park opposite Marble Arch is Speakers Corner where anyone can stand up and speak about anything they like. It gets quite crowded at weekends, as the speakers get heckled.
Close to the park also is the Wellington Museum at Apsley House. The Duke of Wellington bought Apsley House after his Waterloo victory. Today it houses a huge number of paintings by various artists.
Of course, if you want to stay near Hyde Park you can look for luxury apartments London to rent. There are actually quite a number of luxury apartments London to rent close to the park in Mayfair and in Notting Hill. Renting an apartment is quite a bit less expensive than staying in a hotel, yet you get all of the facilities except that you have to do your own shopping and cooking. Luxury apartments London to rent also means that you have your own “home away from home” for the duration of your visit.
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