Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 20:52:00

Once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens is one of the Royal Parks of London, covering around 270 acres on the western side of the contiguous green space it shares with Hyde Park. It lies in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The gardens were laid out from the late 17th and early 18th centuries around the palace, which became a royal residence under William III and Mary II. Formal Dutch and later landscaped designs gave the park much of the character it retains today. At its heart sits Kensington Palace, still a working royal residence and a visitor attraction, set behind formal gardens and a long avenue of trees. The palace anchors the western end of the park. Among the best-known features is the ornate Albert Memorial, commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of Prince Albert, which faces the Royal Albert Hall across the road to the south. Its gilded and sculpted Gothic canopy is a major landmark. Other sights include the Italian Gardens, a Victorian water garden at the head of the Long Water; the Serpentine galleries; and a bronze statue of Peter Pan, placed near the spot that inspired J.M. Barrie. The Diana Memorial Playground draws families to the north-west corner. The Long Water, the upper reach of the lake that becomes the Serpentine in Hyde Park, runs through the gardens and supports waterfowl and quiet walks along its banks. Broad tree-lined avenues cross the open lawns. Quieter and more formal than the neighbouring Hyde Park, the gardens are used mainly for walking, sitting and visiting their monuments rather than large events. They are open daily from dawn until dusk and free to enter. Surrounded by the museums of South Kensington, the concert hall and the grand houses of Kensington, the gardens form part of one of the most visited green and cultural quarters of central London.