Club O J R H

CLUB.) (O. J. R. H.) Parks.—St. James's park, Green park, Hyde park and Kensing ton gardens (which, with Regent's park, Richmond, Bushey and Greenwich parks, and Kew gardens are royal parks), stretch in an irregular belt for nearly 3 m. between Whitehall and Kensington. St. James's park was transformed from marshy land into a deer park, bowling green and tennis court by Henry VIII., extended and laid out as a pleasure garden by Charles II., and rearranged according to the designs of John Nash in 1827-29. Its lake, the broad Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace, and the proximity of the Government buildings in Whitehall, combine to beautify it. St. James's park is continued between the Mall and Piccadilly by the Green park. Hyde park, to the west, belonged originally to the manor of Hyde, which was attached to Westminster Abbey, but was taken by Henry VIII. on the dissolution of the monas teries. Two of its gateways are noteworthy, namely that at Hyde park corner at the south-east and the Marble arch at the north east. The first was built in 1828 from designs of Decimus Burton, and comprises three arches with a frieze above the central arch copied from that of the Parthenon at Athens, now in the British Museum. The Marble arch was intended as a monument to Nel son; it was erected by John Nash in 1828 in front of Buckingham Palace, and was moved to its present site in 1851. In 1908 this corner of the park was cut to give additional accommodation for the heavy traffic between Oxford street, Edgware road and Park lane, and the Marble Arch was left isolated. Hyde park and Ken sington gardens between them contain a lake 1,500 yds. in length, known in its park portion as the Serpentine and in the gardens portion as the Long water ; from the bridge which marks the division one of the finest prospects in London is seen, extending to the distant towers of Westminster, and on the north bank of the Serpentine is the bird sanctuary with Epstein's "Rima" memorial to W. H. Hudson. Since the 17th century this park has been one of the most favoured resorts of fashionable society, and at the height of the "season," from May to the end of July, its drives present a brilliant scene. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a

favourite duelling ground, and in the present day it is not infre quently the scene of political and other popular demonstrations (as is also Trafalgar square), while the neighbourhood of Marble arch is the resort of orators on social and religious topics. Kensing ton gardens were originally attached to Kensington Palace, but were subsequently much extended ; they are specially favoured by children, for here is the famous Round pond, and in 1912 Sir G. Frampton's statue of "Peter Pan" was placed here. They were magnificently timbered, containing plantations of rare shrubs and flowering trees. Regent's park, mainly in the borough of Maryle bone, owes its preservation to George IV., who, when regent, in tended to build a palace here, and had the park laid out by John Nash in 1812. The other most notable open spaces wholly or partly within the county are; Hampstead heath in the north-west, a high-lying tract, preserved to a great extent in its natural state, which, with the adjoining Parliament hill, Ken wood and Gclders hill park, covers some 85o ac.; and in the south-west Wimbledon common and Putney heath (together 1,200 ac.) and the royal demesne of Richmond park (2,358 ac.), which from its higher parts commands a wonderful view up the rich valley of the Thames. The east, south and north are not lacking in open spaces, the chief of which are :—Victoria park (217 ac.), in the north-east ; Greenwich park (188 ac.), Blackheath (267 ac.) and Woolwich commons in the south-east, and Battersea park (200 ac.), and Wandsworth (183 ac.) and Tooting Bec. (217 ac.) commons in the south ; but there is an extensive inner area where at most only small gardens and squares break the continuity of buildings, and where, in some cases, old churchyards serve as public grounds.