Who owns hyde park

This was the brainchild of Queen Caroline, George ll's wife, who had it built as a boating lake. During the depths of winter, it was used by both sexes as a skating rink. In , Henry Hunt drove his company's van, drawn by four horses, across the ice's broadest part and won a hundred guineas from 'a Noble Lord of Sporting Celebrity'. Queen Victoria's reign witnessed the flowering of the arts in Britain and Hyde Park drew artists to its environs. Frederic Leighton, the first painter to be knighted, lived in nearby Kensington and Holland Park, which had its own artistic circle.

Throughout its history Hyde Park has witnessed all manner of human behaviour. Troops were stationed in the park during the Jacobite rebellion and George Ill survived an assassination attempt there.

From deaths by duelling in the eighteenth century through to the free concert given by the Rolling Stones, shortly after the death of original member Brian Jones, Hyde Park has seen it all.

You can see a plaque marking the gallows location set into the pavement on the far side of Oxford Street, opposite Marble Arch. Over the centuries some 50, people were hanged at Tyburn until the Gallows were finally taken down in People condemned to die at Tyburn were permitted to make a speech to the assembled onlookers before their execution.

Some used the opportunity to repent their crimes, others protested their innocence, and some criticised the authorities that had condemned them to die. The connection of Tyburn to public protest was firmly ingrained in the public mind by the time executions were moved from Tyburn to Newgate Prison.

The tradition continued after the Gallows were removed, and protest marches often ended at what is now Speakers' Corner. In a march by the Reform League, demanding an extension of voting rights, ended in violence when the government tried to stop protestors from entering Hyde Park. Three days of rioting ensued. Another protest the following year drew , marchers and forced the Home Secretary to resign. The government saw the wisdom of permitting controlled freedom of speech in a designated area of the park, and in enacted the Parks Regulation Act, granting the right to meet and speak freely in Hyde Park, as long as they didn't use obscene language.

The park continued as a popular destination for protest marchers even after Speakers' Corner was established. From the suffragettes held regular meetings near The Reformers Tree in the south-west corner of the parade ground. It was a consciously ironic choice of venue, for the tree had gained its name from the fact that the Reform League, demanding the vote for all men , but not women, gathered at the tree in The tree was set on fire during one protest, and its stump became a focal point for further protests and a symbol of people's right to free speech and free assembly.

The stump is long gone, and in its place is a circular mosaic with the outline of a black tree against a white background. The original design called for the archway to be topped by a statue of George IV, Nash's patron, but rising costs and the king's death meant that the finished design was less elaborate and omitted the sculpture completely.

It was moved in to its present, rather oddly isolated location on what is now a large traffic island at the junction of Park Lane and Oxford Road. In theory, only the royal family and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery are allowed to pass through the central archway. I say, in theory , because the archway is open and pedestrians pass through it all the time. It is made of stone faced with Italian marble.

Close to Hyde Park Corner in the south-eastern corner of the park is a colourful garden area laid out in The garden is bounded by yew trees and planted with seasonal flower beds. The combination of yew borders and flower beds is designed to resemble musical notes emerging from a trumpet's mouth. The roses are at their best in the summer months, but the seasonal planting means the garden is a pleasant space to enjoy at any time of year. Two statues grace the Rose Garden.

Munro was a friend of Lewis Carroll , author of the Alice in Wonderland books. The fountain was made for a Victorian sunken garden that had to be destroyed to make way for a widening of Park Lane. The fountain was moved to Regents Park in but was returned to Hyde Park in In a curious twist, the site of the Victorian sunken garden now holds the modern Joy of Life Fountain.

The other statue in the rose garden is the Diana the Huntress Fountain not to be confused with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain further west. It shows a nude figure of Diana, the goddess of hunting, drawing her bow.

The fountain was donated by Sir Walter and Lady Palmer and installed in One of the most popular visitor attractions in Hyde Park is this striking water feature, officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on 6 July , in memory of Princess Diana. To call it a fountain is a bit misleading; it is a watercourse made of Cornish granite.

Water flows in two directions from the highest point, down cascades and over shallows to a deep pool at the base.

The design is meant to reflect the popular Princess's life. You will often find delighted small children wading along the watercourse or splashing in the pool, filling the air with their shrieks of happiness. I think Princess Diana would have approved. Immediately north of the Diana Memorial Fountain is this striking bronze sculpture of a bird, inspired by the Egyptian symbol for the goddess of nature.

The sculpture was created by Simon Gudgeon and was installed in The sculpture was donated by the Halcyon Gallery as part of a campaign to raise money for educational outreach projects in Hyde Park. You can see donor's plaques arranged at the foot of the sculpture, which stands beside the south bank of the Serpentine.

One of the park's lesser-known statues, but only because it is tucked away on South Carriage Drive, away from the main visitors' paths. The bronze sculpture is also known as Rush of Green and depicts a family and their dog rushing towards the park, while Pan plays his pipes to urge them on. The statue was designed by Sir Jacob Epstein, one of Britain's most influential 20th-century artists. It stands near the Edinburgh Gate to the park. Twelve soldiers and six civilians were injured and seven horses died when the bomb was set off while the Queen's Life Guard was passing.

In memory of the four guardsmen who died, every time the Queen's Life Guard or other body of the Household Cavalry pass the memorial they bring their swords down to the carry position and observe 'eyes right' or 'eyes left' to focus on the memorial.

Also, any band approaching the site ceases playing until they have passed. Just to be confusing, this memorial is shown on some maps of Hyde Park as the Cavalry Memorial, but since there is another Cavalry Memorial in the park, we've given this site a more accurate label.

North of the Serpentine, opposite the West Boathouse, stands this large granite boulder, given by the Norwegian Navy and Merchant Fleet in as a mark of gratitude to the British people for their support during WWII. Both the front and rear faces of the stone are engraved. The front face reads, ' You gave us a safe haven in our common struggle for freedom and peace ', while the rear is carved with the words, ' Worked and shaped by forces of nature for thousands of years '.

Near Hyde Park Corner in the south-east corner of the park is a bronze sculpture depicting St George on horseback, above a defeated dragon. Around the base of the memorial is a frieze showing galloping horsemen.

The sculpture was designed by Adrian Jones, himself an army veteran, and was made with bronze from guns captured during the war. The frieze around the base was added by Sir John Burnet, and the memorial was installed in Its original location was close to the Stanhope Gate but in it was moved to its current location near the Bandstand when Park Lane was widened.

Close to the east end of the Serpentine, set in a grove of birch trees, stands Britain's first memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The memorial was created in and was a gift of the Board of British Jews. The memorial takes the form of a garden of granite boulders. The largest boulder is inscribed with a verse from Lamentations that runs, ' For these I weep.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people '. The most modern and one of the most moving memorials in Hyde Park is this sculpture commemorating the victims of the 7 July London bombings. The memorial was unveiled by Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on 7 July , exactly 4 years after 52 people lost their lives to terrorist bombs. The memorial is in the south-east corner of the park, north of Hyde Park Corner and fairly close to the Achilles Statue.

The striking memorial is composed of 52 slender pillars made of stainless steel, one for each of the victims. The pillars are arranged in four groups, one for each location where bombs were set off. Each pillar is marked with a date and time plaque. And with the Diana Memorial Fountain and open air events throughout the year, there's always something to see and do. If you're out and about on Sunday, head to Speaker's Corner to hear London's most vocal orators share their opinions with the world.

Ice skating will also be available from November to January specific dates to be confirmed. Loading reviews for Hyde Park. All rights reserved. Follow the coronavirus guidance for London. COVID information. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating Based on 22, reviews.