|
|
 |
 St. James’ Park |
 |
St. James Park is one of the Royal Parks of London located in the City of Westminster, London , just east of Buckingham Palace and west of Downing Street. The St James' area, including St. James Palace, is at the north.
The City of Westminster, where the park is located, is a London borough with city status, situated to the west of the City of London and north of the River Thames. The administrative area of Greater London contains 32 London Boroughs, of which 12 London Boroughs with the City of London make up Inner London and 20 London Boroughs make up Outer London. The park forms part of Inner London.
The London boroughs are administered by 'London Borough Councils' which are elected every four years. The boroughs are the most important unit of local government in London, and are responsible for running most local services in their areas. Some functions however are now the responsibility of the Greater London Authority. Some services and lobbying of government are pooled within the Association of London Government. In 1965 the borough was created from the abolished Metropolitan Borough of St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough of Paddington and smaller City of Westminster. The current London borough covers a far greater area than the original settlement of Westminster.
Geographically, St. James Park is bounded by The Mall to the north, Horse Guards to the east, and Birdcage Walk to the south. The Mall refers to the road running from B uckingham Palace at its western end to A dmiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square at its eastern end. It is closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays, and on ceremonial occasions. Running off The Mall at the eastern end is Horse Guards Parade, where the ceremony of the Trooping of the Colour occurs. The Horse Guards' Road or "Horse Guards" is a road in the City of Westminster, London that runs south from The Mall, down to Birdcage Walk. It also runs roughly parallel with Whitehall and Parliament Street. To its east are various government buildings, including the Old Admiralty Buildings, the Cabinet Office, Downing Street, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and HM Treasury. Also to the east is a large courtyard, Horse Guards Parade, this is where the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony is held in the presence of the reigning monarch
Unlike Green Park, St. James Park has a small lake called St James' Park Lake. Inside these lakes are two islands called West Island and Duck Island, the latter of which is named after the lake's collection of waterfowl. A bridge across the lake gives off views of Buckingham Palace framed by trees and fountains.
This park was bought as a marsh by Henry VIII , who had it turned later into a deer chase . Henry VIII was King of England and later King of Ireland from 22 April 1509 until his death. It was during his reign that the break with Rome and the subsequent establishment of the independent Church of England, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the union of England and Wales all happened.
St. James Park was later opened to the public by Charles II. Charles II was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 until his death. It was also in the 1660's, shortly after Cromwell's death, that the monarchy was restored under Charles II.
The park was reputed as a meeting place for acts of sexual degeneracy, as written by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester in his famous poem "A Ramble in St. James Park." John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was an English libertine who is a friend of King Charles II and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry.
St. James Park is the easternmost of an almost continuous chain of parks that also comprises Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other relevant Travel Guides |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
