It remains one of the private gardens of Kensington Palace but is open to the public and provides a welcome relief from the relentless urban pace of the city.

The atmosphere has a lightness which gladdens the heart, a soothing place, full of wooded idylls and graceful gardens, just yards away from the hectic congestion of the capital. One of my favourite parks is Kensington Gardens a delightful green arena, lying immediately to the west of the extensive acres of Hyde Park, it has a wistful air about it and a magical haze seems to hang over its gentle green fabric. But I feel it’s more than this, these parks seem imbued with an innocent charm, a kind of magic, like becoming adrift in some enchanted wood. Not to mention they’re probably held in particular affection by Londoners themselves, because they offer the only taste of the countryside available to them in the huge urban sprawl of the city. Perhaps their significance seems greater because they’re on such a grand scale and forever wedded to the history and traditions of the great city. Of course there are parks all over the country, in all our towns and cities, but I sense something indefinably special about those situated in London. The large English gardens situated in the capital, such as Regents Park and Hyde Park, have such strong personalities that they resonate in my mind as symbols of England just as much as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square. I have always been fascinated by the Royal Parks of London where people can escape from the intensity of the busy streets and lose themselves in another reality, places where the mind has room to breathe and wander freely.

I am intrigued by the fact that London has more green space than any other major conurbation in the world. In a city renowned for its chaotic noise and rush, it is surprising how many quiet retreats of tranquillity can be found within the heart of London. One moment I am in a district of bustling activity bursting with colour, crowds and vitality, the next I am led into a scene of restful solitude where it is difficult to believe I’m in the centre of such a boisterous metropolis. One of the joys of walking across London is that sense I have of drifting from one world to another through an endless parade of contrasting wonders. We too have been there we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.” – JM Barrie “On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles.

Peter pan in kensington gardens