World City Guide

Further Distractions

London’s Parks
Together, St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens stretch from Whitehall to Kensington in the west. St James’s Park and Green Park are at the heart of royal and governmental London, cantilevered around Buckingham Palace, while Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner is the place for soapbox philosophers to harangue passers-by on Sunday mornings. Kensington Gardens contains the delightful Serpentine Gallery, as well as the glittering Albert Memorial. The more recent memorials to Diana, Princess of Walkes currently take the form of a playground and a 11km (seven-mile) Memorial Walk through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park, although the official Memorial Fountain is due for completion in summer 2004. Regent’s Park, just north of Oxford Circus, is home to London Zoo, while immediately next door is Primrose Hill, with a fabulous view and chic village atmosphere. Of the many other parks in London, two are huge but further out – Hampstead Heath in north London and Richmond Park in south London. Hampstead Heath boasts acres of natural parkland, the 18th-century Kenwood House, numerous bathing ponds and another fantastic view over the capital. Richmond Park is the largest open space in London, first enclosed as a hunting park by King Charles I in 1637, it still boasts deer. Last, but not least, Greenwich Park is the oldest enclosed royal park. Situated on a hilltop with impressive views across East London, it provides a setting for several historic buildings, including the Old Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House.

All Royal Parks (tel: (020) 7298 2000 (General enquiries); website: www.royalparks.gov.uk), except Hampstead Heath (tel: (020) 7482 7073, website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk)

Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens
Tel: (020) 7402 6075.
Website: www.serpentinegallery.org
Transport: London Underground Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate or South Kensington.
Admission: Free.

London Zoo
Outer Circle
Regent's Park
London NW1 4RY
Tel: (020) 7722 3333.
Website: www.londonzoo.com
Transport: London Underground Camden Town, or alternatively Regent's Park or Baker Street. Also bus no. 274.
Opening hours: 1000-1730 (Mar-Oct), 1000-1600 (Nov-Feb).
Admission: £13 (concessions available).

Kenwood House
Hampstead Lane, NW3
Tel: (020) 7973 3478.
Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk
Transport: London Underground Hampstead, Belsize Park or Highgate; Silverlink Metro Hampstead Heath or Gospel Oak. Bus no.210.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (Apr-Oct); 1000-1600 (Nov-Mar); opens at 1030 Wed and Fri.
Admission: Free.

Highgate Cemetery
Resonating with the ghosts of such luminaries as Karl Marx and George Eliot, Highgate Cemetery is one of London’s most extraordinary places. With some of the finest Victorian funerary architecture in the country, many of the memorials are architecturally listed sites. The East Cemetery contains Karl Marx’s grave and monumental bust. The West Cemetery contains the remarkable Lebanon Circle, formed of 20 family catacombs surrounding an ancient cedar tree, as well as other notable monuments. Visitors can freely explore the East Cemetery but can only visit the West Cemetery by booking the one-hour guided tours in advance (by telephone).

Swains Lane, N6
Tel: (020) 8340 1834.
Website: http://highgate-cemetery.org
Transport: London Underground Archway or Highgate.
Opening hours: East Cemetery: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1700 (Apr-Oct); Mon-Fri 1000-1600, Sat and Sun 1100-1600 (Nov-Mar); last admission half an hour before closing. West Cemetery tours: Mon-Fri 1400 (Mar-Nov only); Sat and Sun 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400 and 1500; Mon-Fri 1400 (Mar-Nov only); Sat and Sun 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500 and 1600 (Apr-Oct).
Admission: £2 (East Cemetery); £3 (West Cemetery standard tour).

Theatre Museum
A little gem that will delight all theatre lovers. This museum, which showcases the making of the West End since 1843 to the present day, gives an overview of the evolution of the West End, London's Theatreland, over the past 160 years. Historic prints, plans, maps, posters, props, photos and models from the museum's collection and other sources, are all on display, with educational and insightful explanations provided. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions.

Russell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E
Tel: (020) 7943 4700. Fax: (020) 7943 4777.
E-mail: tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk
Website: www.theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk
Transport: Underground Covent Garden, train to Charing Cross.
Opening hours: 1000-1800 (Tue-Sun). Closed Mondays and bank holidays.
Admission: Free.