Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London and it's also one of the Royal Parks of London.

It's famous for its Speaker's Corner, where anyone can speak on any subject.

Hyde Park covers 142 hectares (350 acres) and Kensington Gardens covers 111 hectares (275 acres), giving an overall area of 253 hectares (625 acres)

Sites of interest in the park include Speaker's Corner (located in the northeast corner near Marble Arch), close to the former site of the Tyburn gallows, and Rotten Row, which is the northern boundary of the site of the Crystal Palace.

History

Henry VIII acquired Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536; he and his court were often to be seen on thundering steeds in the hunt for deer.

It was Charles I who changed the nature of the park completely. He had the Ring (north of the present Serpentine boathouses) created and in 1637 opened the park to the general public.
Towards the end of the 17th century William III moved his court to Kensington Palace.

Hyde Park became a venue for national celebrations. In 1814 the Prince Regent organised fireworks to mark the end of the Napoleonic Wars, in 1851 the Great Exhibition was held and in 1977 a Silver Jubilee Exhibition was held in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's 25 years on the throne.

Events

For example Jethro Tull, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Bon Jovi have played in Hyde Park.
For the 2012 Summer Olympics, the park will host the triathlon and the 10 km open water swimming events. The park is also planning on holding the 2012 Iron Man competition.