On a perfect sunny fresh autumn day last year I decided to explore Hyde Park with my friend Lynn. Due to its massive size I’ve only ever walked through very small areas of this royal park. I also avoided it due to its size and location assuming it was always busy. We started at Green Park station then walked over to Hyde Park corner.
At the corner of Green Park lies the RAF Bomber Command Memorial. It opened in June 2012 and commemorates the aircrews of RAF Bomber Command who embarked on missions during the Second World War. The style was very reminiscent of American memorials.
Moving on to Hyde Park we were pleasantly surprised to find an oasis of calm once we got past the Winter Wonderland revellers. It was the first time I noticed that Hyde park has a central park feel to it. Once inside the rush and noise of London fades away.
Like central park it is vast and easily to get lost in, as I did the last time I was in New York. The only draw back to Hyde Park is that the markers throughout could be much better. Due to not completely knowing where we were going we kept stumbling upon statue after statue, here are a few of my highlights.
Boy with Dolphin by Alexander Munro (1825-1871)
Located in the Rose Garden it once was the centrepiece of the Victorian sunken garden that was demolished to make way for widening of Park Lane. It was moved to The Regent’s Park Broad Walk 1960-1993 and returned to Hyde Park in 1995.
Feodora von Gleichen’s Diana the Huntress
The bronze statue of Diana the huntress, also known as Artemis, stands in the flower garden at the south east corner close to Constitution arch. Diana the Huntress stands with her bow and arrow, about to shoot.
She is depicted as a nude, youthful figure, small breasted but not slender, instead solid in thigh and shoulder as befits an athlete among Goddesses. Her face is classical Greek, and she wears her hair tied up to reveal her neck
Fischli/Weiss: Rock On Top Of Another Rock
As we got closer to the Serpentine river in a clearing emerged a giant sculpture formed of two boulders perched precariously one on top of the other. Rock On Top Of Another Rock stands five metres tall and is the work of Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss. Quick if you want to see this one as it disappears after March.
The Albert Memorial
It is one of London’s most ornate monuments, designed by George Gilbert Scott. Unveiled in 1872, The Albert Memorial commemorates the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, who died of typhoid fever at the age of 42. Officially titled the Prince Consort National Memorial, it celebrates Victorian achievement and Prince Albert’s passions and interests.
You could easily spend a day walking through this park and we nearly did. Besides these we also saw a bit of the Italian Gardens, The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and a Weeping Beech tree.
There are a few tube stations that you could start your journey but if you want to follow our route then get off at Green Park and walk north west and stick to the left side of the river.
