St. James's Park

St. James's Park is a royal park in London, bordered by three royal palaces and crossed by The Mall. Its lake frames views towards Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade. Wheelchair-accessible routes pass through gardens, trees, monuments and lakeside wildlife.

The royal setting reaches back to Henry VIII, while ceremonies bring military parades and state celebrations along The Mall. Charles I took his final walk through the park before his execution. Since 1664, resident pelicans have gathered beside the lake after a gift from a Russian ambassador to Charles II.

Wildflower meadows, reed beds and Duck Island provide habitat for nesting birds and the park’s bird collection. Ducks, coots, moorhens, little grebes and sometimes a black swan share these waters. From Blue Bridge, you can see Buckingham Palace and the London Eye above the trees.

City: Greater London
Content updated: 2026-06-22

Image: André MolletPublic domain
Image: Attributed to Joseph NickollsPublic domain
Image: Pointillist at English WikipediaPublic domain
Image: Hyde_Park_from_the_air.jpg: Ben Leto, derivative work: BaldBoris CC BY 2.0

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