MARBLE ARCH W1
Nearest Tube: Marble Arch
This archway was originally
built as the entrance archway to Buckingham Palace in 1827. It was designed by John Nash,
who was influenced by the design of the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
But when the palace was extended in the 1840s the archway was
deemed to be too small and so it was then moved to its present position, at the north-east
corner of Hyde Park and the west end of Oxford Street, in 1851.
The only people who are allowed to pass
through Marble Arch are senior members of the Royal Family and the King's Troop Royal
Horse Artillery.
The arch now stands on a busy traffic island, but there is in
fact a long history to the site. For this is where infamous Tyburn Gallows once stood - a
plaque at the bottom of the Bayswater Road marks the exact spot.
Hyde Park
Nearest Tube: Hyde Park Corner, Marble
Arch.
There has been a park here since the 1530s when Henry VIII (1509-47) established a Royal
Park on the site so that he could pursue his great love of hunting. The park has been
owned and protected by Royalty ever since, and at 360 acres it is the largest of London's
parks.
The park is right next to Kensington Gardens, and together they form 620 acres of greenery
in the heart of the city. They are separated by the Serpentine that flows through the
centre of the park with Hyde Park below and to the right of it and Kensington Gardens to
the left.
In Hyde Park you can rent a boat on the Serpentine, ride horses along Rotten Row (a
corruption of the French 'Route du Roi' or Kings Road), listen to music played in the
bandstand or people speaking at Speakers Corner. And you can feed the ducks, take the dog
for a walk, eat lunch or stop for tea, or simply promenade around - all very civilised.
But whilst the park has always been a fashionable place for people to meet and socialise,
it hasn't always been quite so civilised. In the 18th century the park was a haunt of
highwaymen and the Serpentine was a sewer for north London. And as late as the nineteenth
century the park was also home to livestock.
It was here that the Great Exhibition of 1851 was held in the Crystal Palace. And during
the Second World War Hyde Park was planted with potatoes to help the war effort.
Nearby, in Kensington Gardens are the Serpentine Gallery and the Albert Memorial. Hyde
Park is open from 5am to midnight, but as with most city parks it is probably best to
avoid it during the night-time.
Oxford Street:
Nearest Tubes: Marble Arch, Bond St, Oxford Circus
Oxford Street stretches for 2 miles through the heart of the West End with Marble Arch at
one end and Tottenham Court Road at the other. The street was originally the old Roman
road that went to Oxford, hence the name.
Nowadays the name Oxford Street is synonymous with shopping and it is here that you will
find lots of high street shops alongside big department stores. Most of the department
stores tend to be at the western end of the street, near Marble Arch, and it is this end
that you should probably head for, as the eastern end of the street tends to be a bit
downmarket.
Some well-known stores that you will find on Oxford Street are Marks and Spencers, John
Lewis and Selfridges. There are also the big music stores of HMV and Virgin.
December is a particularly good time to visit Oxford Street as the displays of Christmas
lights and decorations are legendary. Selfridges is particularly famous for its santa's
grotto.
|
|