A must see place to visit in West London is Kensington Gardens
You will be overwhelmed with the beauty of the gardens that sit on 275 acres filled with Italian gardens, towering trees, playgrounds, fabulous flower beds, the Albert Memorial, Serpentine Art Gallery, and even a café! This is a place that all tourists must visit if they are in the area and you will certainly get an eyeful of nature as well as sunbathers. The months of April to September are most popular with sunbathers because deck chairs are for hire and lots of people take advantage of this. There are also plenty of picnickers, cyclists, and joggers in the area, too.
Tourists will love the beauty of the area and watching the locals. Most of who visit the area to get away from the hustle of the big city. It’s a refuge for most people and believe it or not but games are not encouraged in order to keep the area quiet and peaceful for everyone to enjoy. The one group of people that are encouraged to play is the children and thousands choose to do so each year at the Princess Diana Memorial Park. There are teepees, sensory trails, pirate ship playground, and many other toys and sculptures for the kids to enjoy under the shade trees. Adults will enjoy the many seats available as well so they can sit back and watch their kids while relaxing at the same time.
Originally, Kensington Gardens was part of Hyde Park, but today it is home to Kensington Palace. William III and Mary II chose Kensington Palace as their London home and that is not all the history associated with the palace. Queen Victoria was born there and she made it her home until 1837 when she became queen. The part of the park that was originally part of Hyde Park was purchased by William III in 1689. William III suffered from asthma and he enjoyed the area that is now Kensington Gardens so he had the redbrick building we all know as Kensington Palace built. The Palace Gardens were increased by using 30 acres that originally belonged to Hyde Park and this thanks to Queen Anne. She was also responsible for the orangery that was established in 1704.
The current shape of the gardens is thanks to Queen Caroline, George II’s wife, who had the gardens moulded by using the Westbourne Stream to sculpt the Serpentine and Long Water in 1728. The gardens were not open to the public during the majority of the 18th century and as they became more open to the public they were only open to those who were dressed respectably. Queen Victoria was responsible for improving the gardens and she was the guiding force behind the Albert Memorial as well as the Italian Gardens.
There is an amazing statue of Peter Pan within the park that draws plenty of visitors each year and it is the perfect spot for tourists to take a family picture to remember their time in West London. If you would like to learn a little bit about the park and the surrounding areas then you may take one of the tours of the Albert Memorial or one of the other tours offered in the park. There is also a memorial walk that is seven miles long that meanders through several royal parks and takes in the state of Queen Victoria, which stands beside the palace.
You will probably need some refreshments or a break while you are touring the park. If this is the case the best place to stop is at the Broadwalk Café and Playcafe. During the summer the hours are 8 am until 8 pm and in the winter it is open 10 am until 4 pm. There is a children’s menu as well as a great selection of wraps, pizzas, and desserts. If you don’t want to sit down to a dinner or simply don’t have time to then you can grab an ice cream or other hot or cold snack at the Albert Memorial and the Italian Gardens.
When taking a tour of the gardens you will certainly want to know how to get there, when to arrive, and all the details of the gardens. The hours are 6 am until dusk year round, so pretty much any time you want to visit the gardens you are able to do so. Getting there by tube is really easy. You may take the Central Line Lancaster Gate and Queensway to arrive, the Bayswater on District Line or the High Street Kensington on the Circle and District Lines. You may also take one of many different buses to the Kensington Gardens. Try the 9, 10, 27, 28, 31, 49, 52, 70, 94, 148, 274, 360, and 390. Those who are disabled will find parking along Queen’s Gate or West Carriage Drive.
Now that you are aware of all there is to know about Kensington Gardens all that is left is for you to head out and experience the serenity and beauty of the gardens. You will love that there is not a lot of noise or action and that you can simply relax and enjoy the scenery. If you are in London then the Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace are a must see.
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