Автор: Пользователь скрыл имя, 19 Марта 2012 в 19:34, доклад
There are ten parks in the centre of London: Hyde Park, St. James park, and Regent’s park, Green park, Kensington Gardens and others. But there are 387 parks in greater London at all. They are planned to look as natural as nature itself. There are lawns and flowerbeds, fountains and avenues, but mostly they consist of trees, grass and water. Londoners love their parks and are proud of them. Most of the London’s parks were hunting grounds and belonged to the royal family, cause king Henry VIII was a great hunter. But one by one they were opened to a public. And today many people go for a “morning walk in country” before going to work.
There are ten parks in the centre of London: Hyde Park, St. James park, and Regent’s park, Green park, Kensington Gardens and others. But there are 387 parks in greater London at all. They are planned to look as natural as nature itself. There are lawns and flowerbeds, fountains and avenues, but mostly they consist of trees, grass and water. Londoners love their parks and are proud of them. Most of the London’s parks were hunting grounds and belonged to the royal family, cause king Henry VIII was a great hunter. But one by one they were opened to a public. And today many people go for a “morning walk in country” before going to work.
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are one large park, with the Serpentine lake in the middle. The park is right in the centre of London, although it is so large you can often feel that you have left the city altogether. When the weather is good you can go boating on the Serpentine. There is also a 'Lido' which is an outdoor swimming area in the Serpentine which is open to the public from June - September. At the north east end of the park there is an area called 'Speakers Corner'. Since 1872 people have had the right to speak publicly here about anything, as long as they don't use obscene language. There are eight places you can stop for a drink and something to eat in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens so you're free to explore knowing you're never far from a place to rest! Hyde Park Surrounded from north with Queensway and Bayswater (plenty of youth hotels and hostels including Whiteleys shopping centre), with Mayfair (American Embassy, Bond Street, the Intercontinental hotel) from east, Kensington on west (nice small shops on Kensington Church Street) and Knightsbridge on south (Exhibition Road, Royal Albert Hall, Harrods shop, Belgrave Square with Embassies), this park has the best London location from where you can reach main shopping areas. Being 360 acres in size it can take some time to cross it over.
The second London park that visitors regularly see is Green Park. St James's Park and Green Park are only separated by The Mall (the road that leads up to Buckingham Palace). There is a large lake in St James's Park that is home to many ducks, geese and pelicans. As well as the wildlife, at the eastern end of the park you can see 'Horseguards Parade' where many royal parades take place, including the 'Trooping of the Colour' which happens on the Queen's birthday every year. Green Park is more peaceful and has a lot of trees and scrubs but no flowers (except in the spring when more than 250,000 daffodils come to life). You can hire a deck chair in Green Park (an outdoor chair made with a wooden frame and a cloth seat) during daylight from April to September
Regent's Park starts just north of Oxford Street and stretches as far north as Primrose Hill, a popular place to get an excellent view of London. As well as a number of pretty gardens Regent's Park is home to the world-famous London Zoo and conservation centre where more than 650 species live. Towards the south of the park you will find the Open Air Theatre, which is the only permanent professional outdoor theatre in Britain. It is open from May to September. For the more active there is a sports centre, The Hub, and further north, an outdoor gym.
Close to Regents park there is a small park called Primrose Hill Park. During the summer months and whenever we have nice sunny day, many people go there to sunbathe or read the newspaper and gently doze off. It offers a nice view of central London if you can manage to climb to the top. The park with an even better view of London is Alexandra Park. The view is absolutely stunning and you can even go inside the Alexandra Palace complex where ice-skating during hot and humid days can cool you down.
Between Alexandra Park and Regents Park is Hampstead Heath. you can have really enjoyable day walking and sightseeing. The park is fairly large and you can even swim in some of the ponds. The ponds inside the park are surrounded with bushes and trees and if you like fishing there is a chance to do so. People with younger children can pay a small amount to professional anglers who will take a charge of your young ones.
The last three London parks we are going to mention are slightly further away from central London but you will see why we are encouraging you to visit them.
The first one is Kew Gardens The Botanical Gardens, Kew is one of the world's leading botanic gardens and a World Heritage Site. It is famous for it's beautiful glass houses and perhaps mostly for the humid tropical rainforests inside the Victorian Palm House. As well as the unusual plants from around the world that you can find in the glass houses there is plenty to see outside. The treetop walkway allows you to climb 18 metres into the tree canopy for a birds-eye view of the gardens. Kew Gardens is the only place listed on this page that has an entry fee. Adults pay £13 and concessions £11,so take your student card.
Holland Park is one of London's smaller public parks, but it is just as interesting as some of the larger, more famous parks and gardens. Holland House is at the heart of the park, however, the house was bombed in the second world war and now there is only one floor remaining. The Belvedere Restaurant is in the old summer ballroom of the house and temporary exhibitions are housed in the other remaining rooms. Also in Holland Park you will find the Kyoto Japanese Garden- an ecology garden and rose gardens built for the 1991 London Festival of Japan. During the summer months outdoor opera and dramatic performances are staged at the open-air theatre. Holland Park has some very pleasant wooded walks where you are likely to see some of the many peacocks and squirrels.
Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London and home to 650 free roaming deer. Slightly more wild than some of the more central parks, Richmond Park has plenty to offer those who enjoy outdoor activities. There are several centres where you can learn to fly a kite, as well as a golf course, fishing at Pen Ponds and bike hire. Up towards where the park nearly meets the River Thames you can visit King Henry's Mound, which has a great view of St Paul's Cathedral which is 10 miles away! Close to the mound is Pembroke Lodge and Gardens which has a restaurant and cafe in a Georgian mansion.
London's waterways consist of the rivers, canals and other bodies of water within the Greater London area.
British Waterways London cares for and manages over 100 miles of canals and rivers and more than 110 acres of docks across the capital. London's waterway network provides a unique behind-the-scenes view of the world's most exciting capital.
For centuries, London’s waterways have been the lifeblood of the city, the center of almost all activity—and these days it’s no different. The Thames River is teeming with life, and we don’t just mean the aquatic kind!