St James's Park is one of the eight Royal Parks of London and is surrounded by familiar London landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Whitehall and Clarence House. Horseguards Parade and The Mall form part of St James's Park.
A substantial lake runs most of the length of the park and is spanned by The Blue Bridge which offers impressive views of Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, Horse Guards Parade and Big Ben.
Deckchairs are available to hire should you need to rest your feet after a hard day's sightseeing.
The area of land that forms the park today was purchased from Eton College by King Henry VIII in 1532. Then, the river Tyburn flowed through the park but the area was later drained and landscaped in the reign of King James I. At one point the King attempted to establish a silk industry and planted mulberry trees to facilitate this. The project subsequently failed due to lack of interest and the climate. It was not however caused by the King using the wrong variety of mulberry trees, which is still rumoured today.
The landscape of the park was formalised by King Charles II, including the construction of a canal, and in 1664 a Russian ambassador gifted a colony of pelicans to the King. Part of the canal was reclaimed to build Horse Guards Parade in the 18th century and Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) was purchased by Queen Charlotte in 1761. The mid 1820s saw further remodelling by The Prince Regent - the canal was made into a more natural looking waterway and the formal avenues turned into winding pathways.
Fancy relaxing with a glass of wine? Then head for St James’s Café where you can also enjoy a tasty snack or hot lunch. There's a salad deli and a variety of sandwiches on offer too. The café is surrounded by the beauty of the park which can be enjoyed on the rooftop terrace or indoors looking through the full-depth windows.
St James's Park is still has its population of pelicans and over 40 species of waterfowl live on the lake and its two islands - West Island and Duck Island. Wildflower mats have been planted around the lake to combat wear and tear from visitors and waterfowl.
Squirrels, foxes and wood mice frequent the park as well as bats.
Most of the trees in St James's Park are Planes but visitors can also see Scarlet Oak Tree and the Black Mulberry Tree, which is associated with James I's attempt to build a home silk industry. Around the lake fig trees can be seen.
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