London Walks - Buckingham Palace, County Hall, Strand, Convent Garden, Hyde Park

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Walk One Image For the walking tour listed below you may/will need a good map of the city (see our choice in essentials m-o)

Duration: 3-4 hours

We begin our first walk in Buckingham Palace Road, which stands alongside Victoria railway station. Initially heading north-east we make our way passed Eaton Lane and Lower Grosvenor Place on our left before arriving at the Royal Mews. For horse lovers and admirers of royal pageantry, the Mews serves as an interesting prelude to the imposing palace situated just a short walk away. Designed by John Nash in 1825, it houses the ceremonial horses and coaches used on state occasions, with the biggest draw here being the wonderfully ornate Gold Carriage made for George III. With panelling designed by Giovanni Cipriani, it demonstrates the grandeur and pomp traditionally associated with Britain's Head of State. Aside from state occasions and Royal Ascot (when some of the carriages on display are actually used), The Mews is open for a few hours a week almost all year round.

Next, we continue along Buckingham Gate to visit the official royal residence of the monarch. Initially bought by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham Palace (or Buckingham house is it was originally named) has been enlarged substantially over the years. However, it was only on the accession to the throne of Queen Victoria in 1837, that the Palace became the traditional home of the country's Head of State. In fact, it's easy to see whether Queen is home, as the royal standard flutters above the Palace when Her Majesty is in residence.

Serving both as home to the Queen and a venue for ceremonial state occasions including lavish banquets, some 300 staff work at the Palace. Indeed, the kitchen and staff quarters here take up a sizeable wing of the building. The most impressive rooms of the complex include the Throne Room, which is lit by seven magnificent chandeliers, the gold laden Music Room (complete with ornamental pillars, chandeliers and beautiful parquet flooring) and the State Dining Room.

In 1993, limited access to the Palace was granted to the public for the very first time, in light of what was accepted as a period of diminishing support for the monarchy. A small area of the Palace (18 state rooms in total) continues to be open to the public for approximately two months each year (from early August to the beginning of October) and includes the rooms listed above. With each one opulently decorated, they hint at the grandeur of other apartments not on view to the public.

In the summer of 2001 part of the royal grounds also opened for the very first time, whilst 2002 saw special events held here during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. These included both classical and pop/rock music concerts, with legendary guitarist Brian May (of rock group Queen) also playing the first ever (and almost certainly last ) rendition of God Save the Queen from the roof of the Palace!

As tickets for state rooms are extremely popular, you'll either have to book in advance (for full price adult tickets only) or queue on the day to obtain them, possibly without success. If you do choose the latter option head for the ticket office on Constitution Hill which opens at 9am.

After taking in the impressive sight of Buckingham Palace's imposing facade, we continue our trip along Birdcage Walk which follows the southern border of St. James's Park. Originally serving as the deer park of St James’s palace (which is across on the other side of The Mall) it was turned into a garden/park during the seventeenth century at the behest of King Charles II.

As a particularly nice spot to picnic on a warm summer's day, the park boasts a large lake (which is home to wildfowl including ducks, swans, geese and pelicans) as well as a Victorian bandstand. From the bridge on the lake, visitors can also enjoy an excellent view of Buckingham Palace (although the contingent of hot-dog sellers in the park brings you sharply back to earth).

During the summer, gentlemen in top hats and tails (or formal uniforms of the armed forces) can occasionally be seen strolling along the pedestrian walkways near the park, accompanied by their wives/partners. No, they're not off to a posh wedding, but almost certainly one of the Queen's sumptuous Garden Parties!

At the junction of Horse Guards Road and Storey's Gate we follow the busier route along Great George Street which passes behind both the Cabinet War Rooms and the Treasury. Entering Parliament Square we turn right towards Westminster Abbey and follow Broad Sanctuary from where you'll find the main entrance to Westminster Abbey.

Regarded as one of the "must see" sights for visitors to London, the Abbey is known across the world as the setting for the coronations of British Kings and Queens (and the eventual resting-place for a number of them).

Over the years, it has also been the setting for Royal weddings and other elaborate ceremonies, while most recently, it was associated with the funeral and remembrance service for Diana, Princess of Wales. Her untimely death on 31 August 1997 triggered an outpouring of emotion and grief rarely seen (or associated) with the normally reserved, stiff upper-lipped British.

Historically, there's been an abbey on the site since the eighth century, although the original building has been rebuilt or extended over the years, on some occasions by some of the most important monarchs in English history such as Edward the Confessor and Henry III.

All but two coronations since the reign of William the Conqueror have taken place here, the most recent being that of our reigning monarch, Elizabeth II in 1952.
As well as being the final resting-place of many monarchs, other famous historical figures are honoured here, such as Winston Churchill for whom there is a commemorative tablet in the Nave.

Retracing our steps into Parliament Square we now head towards the Houses of Parliament (also known as the Palace of Westminster) which incorporates one of London's most famous landmarks Big Ben.

Construction work on the original Palace of Westminster began in the mid 11th-century for the English King, Edward the Confessor. The only part of the original structure to survive today is the Westminster Hall. Originally built as a Royal residence, the Palace of Westminster became the nation’s seat of government in the 16th-century. It was here in 1605 that Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators failed in their attempt to blow up the King and Parliament in what has become historically known as the “Gunpowder plot”. The event is remembered on 5th November each year on firework night (a.k.a. Guy Fawkes night) with large displays in many public parks. The centrepiece of these events is normally a huge bonfire on which an effigy of Guy Fawkes is placed and burnt.

A terrible fire in 1834 destroyed most of the Palace (apart from the Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower) and the Gothic style structure that you see today is mainly the work of the architect Charles Barry. The familiar bell tower, known to Londoners and tourists alike as Big Ben, was constructed as part of the rebuilding.

The Palace contains two chambers; the House of Commons (in which Members of Parliament who are elected by the people sit) and the second Chamber, the House of Lords. The public galleries in both Houses are open when Parliament is in session. However, unless you're invited along by an MP or happen to be a Civil Servant (attending on behalf of your Department), it's more than likely you'll have to queue for a while, with no guarantee of entry.

Heading back along Parliament Square towards Parliament Street we now turn right into Bridge Street. Here, as well as being able to enjoy a close-up view of Big Ben we find Portcullis House opposite which serves as the parliamentary offices for Westminster's constituency MPs (as well as housing the Jubilee, Circle and District line Tube Station underneath). As the UK's costliest building, it is not only bomb proof but was constructed to last for over 200 years. Clad in bronze on the outside, the interior is even more luxurious with a courtyard (which contains over £220,000 of plants and designer blinds worth £250,000). A waste of taxpayer's money spent on spoiling Britain's political elite? We'll let you decide for yourself!

Although we now head towards Westminster Bridge, our route requires us to turn left onto Victoria embankment from where impressive views of County Hall and the BA London Eye can be had. We now follow the curvature of the Thames which swings right towards the City of London and Docklands further afield. However, our next port of call is Cleopatra's Needle. This large granite obelisk is actually London's oldest monument, dating back to 1475 BC. Originally erected in ancient Egypt's Heliopolis (which was located just north of today's Cairo), it was later moved to Alexandria following Cleopatra's death, where it stood for many hundreds of years.

In more recent times, the 60ft high, 180 tonne monument, was given as a gift to Britain by the Turkish Viceroy of Egypt in 1819. However, because of its sheer size, the task of moving it to Britain was not undertaken until 1877.

Loaded onto a pontoon, the obelisk was towed back to England by ship via the Bay of Biscay. Despite the pontoon breaking free during a violent storm en-route (in which the vessel almost sank and several seamen died), it eventually reached London in January 1878.

Although originally earmarked to stand outside the Houses of Parliament, the obelisk was finally erected on the Thames Embankment alongside two Victorian sphinxes. Buried underneath is a time capsule, which amongst other things, contains a daily London newspaper, several bibles, a copy of Bradshaw's railway guide, and twelve pictures of the Britain's most attractive women.

Arriving at Waterloo Bridge we turn up into Lancaster Place situated on which are Somerset House and the Courtauld Institute. Each are well-worth visiting, with particularly fine displays of impressionist and post-impressionist art from the likes of Monet and Cézanne. Turning left to walk towards the Strand our route takes us south-west to the Savoy before crossing over into Southampton Street. Here we find ourselves on the fringes of Covent Garden, which is not only home to the fashionable piazza and central market but the London transport Museum and Royal Opera House.

All year round you can enjoy the bustle of the covered market area, while in the summer, Covent Garden is particularly enjoyable thanks to the many street entertainers and performances which take place here. The area is also well-known for its many good restaurants and upmarket shops. Indeed, if you wish to some time here, just head north along James Street (which, in turn, connects to both Floral Street and Long Acre) and you'll find plenty of trendy fashion and food stores. Alternatively, you can take a route along Henrietta Street before turning right into Bedford Street and then up along Garrick Street to the top of Long Acre.

From here our walk takes onto the busy Charing Cross Road. However, rather than heading north towards Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road Tube station, we instead head south towards the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields. Of course, by following the route along St Martin's place we eventually find ourselves in Trafalgar Square which not only contains the centrepiece of Nelson's column but other interesting buildings such as the Canadian Embassy and South African High Commission. Situated on the south-west corner of the Square is Admiralty Arch (which we will see towards the end of our walk), although our route now leads us south into Whitehall and down to Horse Guards. If you wish you can continue a few hundred metres further to Downing Street, although as the entrance to the official home of the British Prime Minister is protected by wrought iron security gates, there really isn't much to see.

Of course, Horseguards, which was built in 1745 to house the guards of the old royal palace at Whitehall, is today used as a base from where the Queen's Foot Guards and Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (a union of the Army's two oldest regiments The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals) perform ceremonial duties. Two foot sentries guard the low arch, while two further mounted troopers guard the main arch. In addition, at 11am (10am on Sundays) the Changing of the Guard takes place, this time with a squad of twelve troops who arrive from Hyde Park Barracks. Come 4pm, the chief guard inspects the troops before finally allowing them to stand down at 5pm.

Taking place daily throughout the Summer, it's a colourful part of British pageantry and certainly one that's made all the more impressive when Horse Guards Parade is used for the Trooping of the Colour. This ceremony, which takes place annually on the Saturday closest to the Queens Official birthday (June 6th), dates back to the early 18th-century. Originally, the regiment's colours were carried (or 'trooped') down the ranks so as to be recognised by lower-ranking soldiers. It's also customary for the sovereign (Queen Elizabeth II) to salute and inspect the troops before both regiments march past her. Continuing on to Buckingham Palace, they then salute Her Majesty again (this time in residence) before returning to barracks.

Heading through the main arch at Horse Guards we work or way back towards St. James's Park and Horse Guards Road before turning right towards The Mall and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Laid out in 1911, the Mall serves as a memorial to the late Queen Victoria. Designed by Aston Webb, this triumphal boulevard begins at the gates of the Palace and ends at Admiralty Arch (which can be seen by turning right) on Trafalgar Square. Traditionally used as the route followed by royal processions, the tree-lined thoroughfare is flanked on both sides by flagpoles which regularly carry the national colours of visiting heads of state. On Sundays, it becomes a pedestrian extension to St. James's Park, while also being famously used for the final stages of the London Marathon.

Finally, arriving back at Buckingham Palace we pass the Queen's Gardens before heading along Constitution Hill (and Green Park) to the Wellington Arch and Hyde Park Corner. Although marooned on a traffic island, the recently renovated arch contains an observation platform which offers pleasant views over Hyde Park and back across Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. Also nearby is Apsley House (once the London home to the Duke of Wellington) which now serves as a museum displaying uniforms, swords and other memorabilia from the Napoleonic era. Indeed, the museum features a double life-size statue of the man (wearing only a fig leaf), along with painted works by Goya, Rubens and Van Dyck.

Hyde Park does, of course, provide seating for a well-earned rest after completing your walk. With the Serpentine lake, gallery and Speaker's Corner all within the park (and the neighbouring Kensington Gardens further afield) there also happen to be plenty more sightseeing opportunities!

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London Guided Walks - Buckingham Palace to Hyde Park (via County Hall, Covent Garden and Leicester Square)