|
|
 |
 Kensington Gardens |
 |
Kensington Gardens lie directly to the west of Hyde Park. It covers an area of 275 acres or 1.1 km large area.
The City of Westminster , to where majority of the park is located, is a London borough with city, situated to the west of the City of London and north of the River Thames .
However, a small section of the park to the west is in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea , which is a London borough in the west side of central London . The boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea were created in 1965. It is an urban area and was named in the 2001 census as the most densely populated local authority in the United Kingdom, with a population of 158,919 at 13,244 per square kilometer.
In further reference to the park s location, it is also sometimes regarded as being part of Hyde Park itself, but West Carriage Drive (The Ring) forms a clear boundary between the two. Kensington Gardens , together with the other Royal parks of Green Park and St. James Park form an almost continuous "green lung" in the heart of London between Notting Hill and Westminster . Notting Hill is a district of London with the reputation of being an affluent and fashionable area. It is also known for its attractive terraces of large Victorian townhouses, and the glitz of shopping and restaurants particularly around Westbourne Grove. Westminster , on the other hand, is a district within the City of Westminster in London . It is the location of the Palace of Westminster and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Kensington Gardens boasts of the Albert Memorial, Kensington Palace , the Peter Pan statue, the Serpentine Gallery . The Albert Memorial is situated directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall . It used to be commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who died of typhoid in 1861. It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. It was opened in 1872, with the statue of Albert ceremonially "seated" in 1875. The Albert Memorial consists of an ornate pavilion containing a statue of Prince Albert facing the south.
Kensington Palace is the royal residence set in Kensington Gardens . Up to date, it still houses various minor royals including the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent. The original early 17 th century building was constructed in the village of Kensington for the Earl of Nottingham. Later, it was acquired from his heir because the King wanted a residence near London but at the same time far from the polluted air of the capital. The King was asthmatic. Currently, Kensington Palace hosts the exhibition "Diana, Princess of Wales by Mario Testino," that is open to the public since late November 2005.
|
|
The Serpentine Gallery is an art gallery in Kensington Gardens, central London , which focuses on modern and contemporary art. Among its hosts of popular artists who have been exhibited here include Man Ray, Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst. Established in 1970, it is housed in a classical 1934 tea pavilion and gets its name from the nearby Serpentine Lake, which is a curved lake in the Park, used for boating along with an outdoor swimming pool as well. Some hardy swimmers used the Serpentine in the winter as well as during the summer. Queen Caroline, wife of King George II had the lake constructed in 1730. It is popular for boating and swimming.
The Serpentine gallery , however, was set up by the Arts Council of Great Britain and for its first years was only open on a limited basis during the summer months. It was only in 1986 under Julia Peyton Jone s who was then appointed as Director, that the gallery was extensively refurbished. Today, each summer of the year, the gallery has commissioned a temporary pavilion by leading architects.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other relevant Travel Guides |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
