Green Park

Green Park is adjacent to the 47-acre greenspace of St James's Park, but benefits from mature trees and a more peaceful atmosphere.

Although the park is now a peaceful place, this was not always the case. Green Park it was first a burial ground for the leper hospital at the nearby St James's Park. Then once it was enclosed became a famous duelling site and the place where many a rebellion took place including one against the marriage of Queen Mary I to Philip II of Spain. Much has changed in the park, the buildings and lodges that once stood there are now all gone, as are the temples that were destroyed during two particularly raucous fireworks displays 60 years apart!

Like most Royal Parks in London Green Park was a royal hunting ground stocked with deer by Charles II; however by the 18th Century various improvements were made in order to make the park more pleasure garden like; the Tyburn Pool and the Queens Walk all added to the park where the King enjoyed his daily constitutionals. In the 1820s John Nash was commissioned to make improvement to St James's Park that affected Green Park, trees were planted in the park for the first time and the Wellington Arch was placed at the boundary of Hyde Park and Green Park on Constitution Hill. In more recent years the park has become a memorial to whose who have lost their lives in battle, with new memorial added for Canadian servicemen in 1994 and one in 2002 for the five million servicemen from the Indian Sub-Continent, Africa and the Caribbean.

Green Park is a greenspace dedicated to rest and relaxation, therefore sport is not encourages and large scale events rare, if you are looking for a greenspace that offers these facilities then check out our page on Hyde Park. Although Green Park does not have an abundance of wildlife there are a number of birds living there and The Royal Parks are currently looking at ways to introduce new species to the area.

The park is open to the public all day every day. Find out more about Green Park.

How to get there

The closest tube stations are located at Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.

If travelling by bus the 2, 8, 9, 14, 16, 19, 22, 36, 38, 52, 73, 82, 148 and 436 all serve the area.