HYDE PARK is one of the largest parks in central London, England, and one of the Royal Parks of London. The park is divided in two by the Serpentine Lake. The park is contiguous with Kensington Gardens, which is widely assumed to be part of Hyde Park, but is technically separate. Hyde Park is 350 acres (1.4 kmē) and Kensington Gardens is 275 acres (1.1 kmē) giving an overall area of 625 acres (2.5 kmē). The oldest part of Hyde Park once belonged to the manor of Ebury. This land had an area of one hide (anything between 60 and 120 acres, or 0.24 to 0.49 kmē), which gave the park its name. The land was acquired by Henry VIII in 1536 by dissolving Westminster Abbey. Where Kensington Gardens is largely flat, Hyde Park has high and low features. Much of the layout dates back to the work of architect Decimus Burton in the 1820s. The park was the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851 for which the Crystal Palace was designed by Joseph Paxton. SITES OF INTEREST The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales. It was designed with children in mind. It is located in the southwest corner of Hyde Park in London, just south of the Serpentine Lake and east of the Serpentine Gallery. Its cornerstone was laid in September of 2003 and it opened on July 6, 2004 by Queen Elizabeth II. Speaker's Corner is an area where public speaking is allowed, and is located in the north-east corner of Hyde Park. Public riots broke out in the park in 1855, in protest over the Sunday Trading Bill which forbade buying and selling on a Sunday which was, at that time, the only day working people had off. These riots were eagerly described by Karl Marx as the beginning of the English revolution. The riots and agitation for democratic reform encouraged some to force issue of the "right to speak" in Hyde Park. In 1872 the Royal Parks and Garden's Act delegated the issue of permitting public meetings to the Park Authorities (rather than central government). Since that time it has become a traditional site for public speeches and debate as well as the main site of protest and assembly in Britain. The Serpentine Lake divides Hyde Park in two. It was formed in 1730 when Queen Caroline, wife of George II, ordered the damming of the River Westbourne in Hyde Park. At that time, the Westbourne formed eleven natural ponds in the park. The Serpentine gets its name from its supposedly snakelike, curving shape. It provides a haven for wildlife including ducks, geese and swans. The Serpentine Art Gallery is located nearby in Kensington Gardens, and to its east is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. On the Serpentine, rowing boats are available for hire. There is also a swimming area in the Serpentine. One unusual event each year occurs on New Year's Day, when the ice is broken and brave bathers dive into the cold waters of the lake. In 2002, the lake hosted the World Rowing Sprints where several international crews raced over 547 yards (500 m). It will be used for the swimming leg of the triathlon at the London 2012 Olympics. Serpentine Road, alongside the lake, is a haven for London's inline skaters. Rotten Row is a broad track running along the south side of Hyde Park in London, leading from Hyde Park Corner to the west. It was established by William III at the end of the 17th century. Having moved court to Kensington Palace, William wanted a safer way to travel to the previous St. James's Palace. He created the broad avenue through Hyde Park, lit with 300 oil lamps in 1690 — the first artificially lit highway in Britain. The name "Rotten Row" may be a corruption of the French 'Route de Roi' or King's Road. In the 18th century, Rotten Row became a popular meeting place for upper class Londoners. Particularly on weekend evenings, people would dress in their finest clothes in order to ride along the row and be seen. The adjacent South Carriage Drive was used by people in carriages for the same purpose. The sand covered avenue of Rotten Row is still maintained as a bridleway and forms part of Hyde Park's South Ride. It is particularly convenient for the Household Cavalry, stabled nearby at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, who exercise their horses there. Members of the public also ride there, although few people have stables close enough to make use of it. Hyde Park Corner is at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge. In the centre of the roundabout stands Constitution Arch (or Wellington Arch), designed by Decimus Burton as a memorial to the Duke of Wellington and originally providing a grand entrance to London. It was built as a northern gate to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Originally the arch was topped with an equestrian statue of the Duke but it was replaced with the current work, The Quadriga (1912) by Adrian Jones. Opposite Hyde Park corner stands one of the grandest hotels in London, The Lanesborough, which offers its top suite at Ģ6,000 per night! Statue of Peter Pan, sculpted by the world famous Sir George Frampton, this is one of the most famous statues in London. J.M. Barrie, creator of the book Peter Pan worked closely with Frampton in the creation of this masterpiece. He was insistent that the statue had a life of its own, a youthful charm that captured the essence of the boy that never grows up. The pair were so insistent that the statue should be enigmatic that they had it installed at the dead of night, with no formal opening ceremony, so to Londoners, it just appeared. LINKS Royal Parks of London Streetmap Hyde Park at Google Maps Information gathered at Wikipedia