London Royal Park: Best Green Spaces in the Heart of the City

When you think of London royal park, a series of eight historic, publicly accessible parks originally owned by the British monarchy. Also known as Royal Parks, these green spaces are the lungs of the city—where locals jog, families picnic, and tourists pause to watch pelicans glide across a lake. They’re not just scenery. They’re part of London’s identity, shaped by centuries of design, politics, and everyday life.

Take St James’s Park, London’s oldest royal park, established in the 1500s and home to the famous pelican feeding. Also known as St James’s Green, it sits right between Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, offering the most photographed views in the city—without a single ticket needed. Then there’s Hyde Park, a 350-acre stretch with open fields, boating lakes, and Speakers’ Corner, where anyone can stand up and speak their mind. Also known as London’s largest royal park, it’s hosted everything from free concerts to political rallies since the 17th century. Nearby, Kensington Gardens, a quieter, more manicured cousin to Hyde Park, holds the Kensington Palace gardens and the Serpentine Galleries. Also known as the palace grounds, it’s where locals go to read under chestnut trees or let kids play by the Italian Gardens. These aren’t just parks. They’re public squares with trees, lakes, and history built in.

What ties them together? Free access. No entry fees. No crowds forcing you to move. Just open space, designed for stillness in a city that never stops. You’ll find people meditating near the Serpentine, couples walking hand-in-hand through Green Park, and runners tracing the same paths as royalty did 300 years ago. The royal parks don’t just exist—they’re used, every single day, by real people doing real things.

And that’s what you’ll find in this collection: real stories about these spaces. Not just tourist tips, but how locals use them, what’s changed over time, and which hidden corners most visitors never see. Whether you’re looking for the best bench to read on, the quietest morning walk, or how the pelicans got their name, these posts give you the full picture—no fluff, no hype, just what matters.