Wednesday 23 March 2011

An oasis in the Capitol

If you come down from Trafalgar Square, across Pall Mall, with Admiralty Arch at one end and Buckingham Place the other you come to the best park in London... St James's Park. It is an oasis amongst all the great and famous buildings around, as in Horse Guards Parade, The Foreign Office, and The Treasury.

I love St James's it isn't huge, by say Hyde Park or Central Park standards. But it is lovely. In the middle is a huge lake full of birds,including pelicans in the summer. The little house in the photograph was built in the style of a Swiss Chalet for the park's bird keeper to live in years ago.

The flower planting in this park is wonderful, it feels more like a garden than a park, just lots and lots of flowers and trees surrounding the lake.

It is a favourite weekday lunch stop for people working in the Government depts situated around it. And at weekends it is a place for tourists to take a moment out of their hectic sightseeing itineraries.

All around it are fabulous views. My favourite is standing on the bridge in the middle of the lake and turning one way you see Buckingham Place, and the other the London Eye. And looking down the water gurgles underneath you with a constant flow of ducks and geese going about their daily business.




Horse Guards Parade



Bird Keepers Cottage (no longer used for that purpose)


A busy bird resting!


Blossom

7 comments:

Kolley Kibber said...

My own personal favourite! On a summer evening, all you can smell there is roses. The atmosphere is so calming it makes people talk quietly, and move more slowly - not something that happens often in Central London. I love it there.

Mel said...

Ohwow.......what a view!
And so much green in the middle of all that stone.

Miss Robyn said...

it is good that there are parks in the middle of busy cities..
love the birdkeepers cottage. it is sweet.

Beatnheart said...

enjoying your trip with you...envy! I love London...can’t wait till my next visit. Take care Byrd.

Marilyn & Jeff said...

I have just read your previous post and now this one. I love all of your photos, I would love to be able to visit London again. St James Park is lovely. I used to flat near Marble Arch and central London was my play area. I explored and enjoyed it as much as I could during my time there.
I am pleased that you had such a wonderful weekend.

bodylift said...

These are really nice pictures. I like there atmosphere and I very much likely to visit those place. Those birds are really looking good.

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Good pictures. Bird picture is really nice. I love your all photos.