St James's Park

Last updated

St James's Park
St James's Park Lake - East from the Blue Bridge - 2012-10-06.jpg
Looking east from the Blue Bridge towards Horse Guards
Westminster London UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationLondon, SW1
United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′09″N00°08′06″W / 51.50250°N 0.13500°W / 51.50250; -0.13500
Area23 hectares (57 acres)
Established1603
Operated by The Royal Parks
Public transit access St James's Park, Green Park, Victoria, and Westminster tube stations

St James's Park is a 23-hectare (57-acre) urban park in the City of Westminster, central London. A Royal Park, it is at the southernmost end of the St James's area, which was named after a once isolated medieval hospital dedicated to St James the Less, now the site of St James's Palace. The area was initially enclosed for a deer park near the Palace of Whitehall for King Henry VIII in the 1530's. It is the most easterly of a near-continuous chain of public parks that includes (moving westward) Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The park is bounded by Buckingham Palace to the west, The Mall to the north, Horse Guards to the east, and Birdcage Walk to the south. It meets Green Park at Queen's Gardens with the Victoria Memorial at its centre, opposite the entrance to Buckingham Palace. St James's Palace is on the opposite side of The Mall. The closest London Underground stations are St James's Park, Green Park, Victoria, and Westminster. [2]

The park is Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. [4]

Features

Audio description of St James's park by Alison Steadman.
Duck Island Cottage has a long history and is now the headquarters for the London Parks & Gardens Trust St James's Park, Duck island cottage 7286.jpg
Duck Island Cottage has a long history and is now the headquarters for the London Parks & Gardens Trust

The park has a small lake, St James's Park Lake, with two islands, West Island and Duck Island, the latter named for the lake's collection of waterfowl. At the end of the nineteenth century Duck Island was considered a sufficiently remote location for Scotland Yard to establish a bomb disposal facility there; the resident bird-keeper was given the responsibility of looking after the implements kept for dismantling the devices. [5] It now houses pumps and water treatment machinery for the lake and fountains. [6]

A resident colony of pelicans has been a feature of the park since a Russian ambassador donated them to Charles II in 1664. [7] While most of the birds' wings are clipped, there is a pelican which can be seen flying, occasionally beyond the confines of the Park. [8]

The Blue Bridge across the lake affords a tree-framed view west towards Buckingham Palace. Looking east, the view includes the Swire Fountain to the north of Duck Island and, past the lake, the grounds of Horse Guards Parade, with Horse Guards, the Old War Office and Whitehall Court behind. To the south of Duck Island is the Tiffany Fountain on Pelican Rock; and past the lake is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with the London Eye, the Shell Tower, and the Shard behind. [2] The park has a children's playground including a large sandpit. [9]

The species of trees in the park include London planes, Scarlet oak, black mulberry, and a fig tree. [10]

History

In 1532, Henry VIII purchased from Eton College an area of marshland through which the Tyburn flowed. It lay to the west of York Place acquired by Henry from Cardinal Wolsey; it was purchased in order to turn York Place, subsequently renamed Whitehall, into a dwelling fit for a king. Henry enclosed the park for deer hunting and built St James Palace to initially serve as his hunting lodge. On James I's accession to the throne in 1603, he ordered that the park be drained and landscaped, and exotic animals were kept in the park, including camels, crocodiles, an elephant and exotic birds, kept in aviaries. [11]

While Charles II was in exile in France under the Commonwealth of England, he was impressed by the elaborate gardens at French royal palaces, and on his ascension he had the park redesigned in a more formal style, probably by the French landscaper André Mollet. A 775-metre by 38-metre (850 by 42-yard) ornamental canal was created as evidenced in the old plan. The king opened the park to the public and used the area to entertain guests and mistresses, such as Nell Gwyn. The park became notorious at the time as a meeting place for impromptu acts of lechery, as described by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester in his poem "A Ramble in St James's Park". [12]

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries cows grazed on the park, and milk could be bought fresh at the "Lactarian", described by Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach in 1710. [13] The 18th century saw further changes, including the reclamation of part of the canal for Horse Guards Parade and the purchase of Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) at the west end of the Mall, for the use of Queen Charlotte in 1761.

Temporary government buildings on St James's Park, First World War, by Henry Rushbury St James' Park - Temporary Government buildings. From the Foreign Office. Art.IWMART1133.jpg
Temporary government buildings on St James's Park, First World War, by Henry Rushbury

Further remodelling in 1826–27, commissioned by the Prince Regent (later George IV) and overseen by the architect and landscaper John Nash, saw the canal's conversion into a more naturally-shaped lake, and formal avenues rerouted to romantic winding pathways. At the same time, Buckingham House was expanded to create the palace, and Marble Arch was built at its entrance, whilst The Mall was turned into a grand processional route. It opened to public traffic 60 years later in 1887. The arch was moved to its current location at the junction of Oxford Street and Park Lane in 1851 and the Victoria Memorial was erected between 1906 and 1911. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckingham Palace</span> Official London residence of the British monarch

Buckingham Palace is a royal residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Kent</span> English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century

William Kent was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, but his real talent was for design in various media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehall</span> Road in the City of Westminster, in Central London

Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square. The street is recognised as the centre of the Government of the United Kingdom and is lined with numerous departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defence, Horse Guards and the Cabinet Office. Consequently, the name "Whitehall" is used as a metonym for the British civil service and government, and as the geographic name for the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mall, London</span> Road in London, England

The Mall is a ceremonial route and roadway in the City of Westminster, central London, that travels 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) between Buckingham Palace at its western end and Trafalgar Square via Admiralty Arch to the east. Along the north side of The Mall is green space and St. James's Palace with other official buildings, and to the south is St James's Park. Near the east end at Trafalgar Square and Whitehall it is met by Horse Guards Road and Spring Gardens, near the west end at the Victoria Memorial it is met by the Constitution Hill roadway and the Spur Road to the street of Buckingham Gate. It is closed to traffic on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and on ceremonial occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Park, London</span> Royal Park in London, United Kingdom

Hyde Park is a 350-acre (140 ha), historic Grade I-listed urban park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Park, it is the largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, via Hyde Park Corner and Green Park, past Buckingham Palace to St James's Park. Hyde Park is divided by the Serpentine and the Long Water lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Park</span> Royal park in London, England

The Green Park, one of the Royal Parks of London, is in the City of Westminster, Central London. Green Park is to the north of the gardens and semi-circular forecourt of Buckingham Palace, across Constitution Hill road. The park is in the middle of a near-continuous chain of green spaces in Westminster that includes St James's Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. To the northwest of Green Park is the district of St James's including, Lancaster House, Clarence House, and St James's Palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Whitehall</span> English royal residence in London (1530–1698)

The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Henry VIII moved the royal residence to White Hall after the old royal apartments at the nearby Palace of Westminster were themselves destroyed by fire. Although the Whitehall palace has not survived, the area where it was located is still called Whitehall and has remained a centre of the British government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James's Palace</span> Royal palace in London, England

St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Although no longer the principal residence of the monarch, it is the ceremonial meeting place of the Accession Council, the office of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, and the London residence of several members of the royal family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marble Arch</span> Monument in London, England

The Marble Arch is a 19th-century white marble-faced triumphal arch in London, England. The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 as the state entrance to the cour d'honneur of Buckingham Palace; it stood near the site of what is today the three-bayed, central projection of the palace containing the well-known balcony. In 1851, on the initiative of architect and urban planner Decimus Burton, a one-time pupil of John Nash, the arch was relocated to its current site, near the northeast corner of Hyde Park, so that expansion of Buckingham Palace could proceed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckingham Palace Garden</span> Garden in London

Buckingham Palace Garden is a large private park attached to the London residence of the British monarch. It is situated to the rear (west) of Buckingham Palace, occupying a 17-hectare (42-acre) site in the City of Westminster and forms the largest private garden in London. It is bounded by Constitution Hill to the north, Hyde Park Corner to the west, Grosvenor Place to the south-west, and the Royal Mews, King's Gallery, and Buckingham Palace itself to the south and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pall Mall, London</span> Street in Central London

Pall Mall is a street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, Central London. It connects St James's Street to Trafalgar Square and is a section of the regional A4 road. The street's name is derived from pall-mall, a ball game played there during the 17th century, which in turn is derived from the Italian pallamaglio, literally "ball-mallet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Guards (building)</span> Military headquarters, barracks and stables in London

Horse Guards is a historic building in the City of Westminster, London, between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade. It was built in the mid-18th century, replacing an earlier building, as a barracks and stables for the Household Cavalry. The current and previous buildings were, between the early 18th century and 1858, the main military headquarters for the British Empire. Horse Guards originally formed the entrance to the Palace of Whitehall and later St James's Palace; for that reason it is still ceremonially defended by the King's Life Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Memorial, London</span> Public memorial by Thomas Brock

The Victoria Memorial is a monument to Queen Victoria, located at the end of The Mall in London by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock. Designed in 1901, it was unveiled on 16 May 1911, though it was not completed until 1924. It was the centrepiece of an ambitious urban planning scheme, which included the creation of the Queen’s Gardens to a design by Sir Aston Webb, and the refacing of Buckingham Palace by the same architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York House, Strand</span> Former mansion on the Strand in London, England

York House was one of a series of grand mansions that formerly stood on the Strand, the principal route from the City of London to the Palace of Westminster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Gardens</span>

Spring Gardens is a dead-end street at the south east extreme of St. James's, London, England, that crosses the east end of The Mall between Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square. Part of the old liberty of Westminster and the current City of Westminster, it abuts Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Green Park, and the Charing Cross/Strand/Trafalgar Square locality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Privy Garden of the Palace of Whitehall</span> Part of the Palace of Whitehall, London

The Privy Garden of the Palace of Whitehall was a large enclosed space in Westminster, London, that was originally a pleasure garden used by the late Tudor and Stuart monarchs of England. It was created under Henry VIII and was expanded and improved under his successors, but lost its royal patronage after the Palace of Whitehall was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1698.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial</span> War memorial in London

The Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial is located on the south side of The Mall in Central London, close to the junction with Horse Guards Road at the northeast corner of St James's Park. Unveiled in 1910, it marks the deaths of the 1,083 soldiers of the Royal Artillery who died in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902 It has been a listed building since 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canal (garden history)</span> Formal water feature in gardens

In the history of gardening and landscaping, a canal is a relatively large piece of water that has a very regular shape, usually long, thin and rectangular. The peak period for garden canals was the 17th and 18th centuries, by the end of which less formal water features were in favour, in the style of the English landscape garden. It is distinguished from a garden pond or lake by its shape, and typically falls somewhere between the two in area. It might be wholly artificial, created by diverting and damming a stream, or based around a natural water feature which is landscaped. Usually it appears to be enclosed, though in fact water passes in and out by channels below the surface. The edges are often walled, and the water relatively shallow.

References

  1. ↑ "St James's Park". Royal Parks. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Map of St James's Park". Royal Parks. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "History and Architecture of St James's Park". Royal Parks. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Historic England, "St James's Park (1000483)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 11 July 2017
  5. ↑ Jensen, Richard Bach (2014). The battle against anarchist terrorism : an international history, 1878-1934. Cambridge University Press. pp. 128–9. ISBN   978-1-107-03405-1.
  6. ↑ "Duck Island St James's Park". The Royal Parks . Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "Pelicans". The Royal Parks.
  8. ↑ "Royal park resident turns nasty and eats neighbour" . The Independent. 12 June 1999. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "10 of the best parks with playgrounds in Westminster".
  10. ↑ "Trees". The Royal Parks . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "St James's Park – From pigs to processions". The Royal Parks. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  12. ↑ Rochester. "A Ramble in St. James's Park".
  13. ↑ Cockayne, Emily (2007). Hubbub: Filth Noise & Stench in England. Yale University Press. p. 100. ISBN   978-0-300-13756-9.
  14. ↑ "The Marble Arch, Marble Arch W1". Historic England . Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Queen Victoria Memorial, The Mall SW1". Historic England. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.