One of London’s finest landscapes and also a popular landmark, Hyde Park spread over 350 acres is one of England’s finest royal parks. Dating back to the 15th century, the Park was earlier a private hunting ground of the British royals till it was opened to the public in1637 by Charles I. Since then, the character of the park has undergone many changes. The park was the site of many a national celebrations and mass demonstrations namely the Great Exhibition of 1851, for which the Crystal Palace was designed. However, the park is mainly associated with the various agitation and riots beginning in 1855 which finally lead to the culmination to the Speakers Corners where people were given the right to debate and have discussions on any topic of their choice. Since then, the park has been associated with ‘free speech’ and has given birth to many such ’speakers corners’ in various parts of England and abroad.

Over time Hyde Park has undergone considerable change – from a normal hunting ground to accommodating a sea of demonstrators, the park is now a place for holding concerts, film shows and exhibitions. Various notable movies have been pictured here – Around the World in Eighty Days, The Ipcress File, Johnny English to name a few. People who have seen the movies can clearly identify the various scenes and places that were pictured here. Besides, the speaker corner, there are various other places which are sure to capture the visitors interests -the Serpentine, a lake of 11.34 hectares, the July Memorial in honour of 7 July 2005 London Bombings victims and the Princess Diana memorial fountain are some of the most visited areas of the park as is the Holocaust Memorial and the Weeping Beech also known as the upside-down tree”.

Events such as rock concerts, the Winter Wonderland fest (18 December 2011 -3 January 2012) and the upcoming Summer Olympics when the park will be venue for the triathlon and the 10 km open water swimming events further asserts the importance the park has in a Londoner’s life. Events or no events, one can be sure that the average Londoner will be making a trip to the park once in a while whether it’s simply a jog in the park or catching up with friends.
The park is open from 5am until midnight all year round and one can reach there by taking the tube from the Central Line or the Piccadilly line.