Inspiring Royal Parks
The borough has over 130 parks, commons, and woodlands. Many of its open spaces were originally village greens. It also boasts 34 kilometers (21 miles) of river frontage.
The three Royal Parks are:
Richmond Park
Credit: Adrian Saxton, via Wikimedia Commons
The largest of London's Royal Parks, created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park. It is now a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Special Area of Conservation. It is home to herds of red and fallow deer, ancient trees, and the Isabella Plantation — a woodland garden famed for its azaleas. King Henry's Mound offers a protected sightline all the way to St Paul's Cathedral.
Bushy Park
Credit: Jim Linwood, via Wikimedia Commons
The second largest of the Royal Parks, Bushy Park became royal when the land and the adjacent Hampton Court Palace were given to Henry VIII by Cardinal Wolsey in 1529. It is home to herds of red and fallow deer, the famous Diana Fountain, a Millennium Wood, and the grand Chestnut Avenue.
Hampton Court Park (Home Park)
A royal park of 750 acres of ancient parkland, managed by Historic Royal Palaces rather than The Royal Parks charity. It supports a mosaic of acid and neutral grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats, and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The deer-inhabited parkland and formal gardens are free to enter, though there is an admission charge for the Palace itself. The Long Water, a man-made lake running parallel to the Thames, was part of a baroque landscape designed for William III.