St James’s Park is the oldest of London’s royal parks, named for a leper hospital that was on the site in the thirteenth century. Even though it was raining cats and dogs I decided to take a walk through the park and up to Buckingham Palace.
It was a deer park in Henry VIII’s time and Elizabeth I liked to hold fetes there. James I drained and landscaped the park and kept animals there including camels and an elephant. Charles II had it redesigned again, having avenues of trees planted. In the 1820s the architect John Nash did more work on the park, and it has remained much the same since.
There were plenty of birds in residence, geese and pigeons of course but pelicans as well which when I visited were a bit too far out on the lake to be photographed well. The pelicans however have been at the park for nearly 400 years, having been given to Charles II by the Russian Ambassador in 1664.
And of course it does allow you for a good view of Buckingham Palace in amongst the trees.
You can find some more photos here.
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