Hey, you! Hopefully, I have your attention now, so I can start telling
you the most interesting facts about Hyde Park.
Basic facts
Type: Public park
Location: Westminster in London, England
Area: 625 acres (around 354 football pitches!)
Opened: 1637
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London and one of the Royal
Parks. It contains a great number of memorials, events, statues, architectural
wonders and Speakers Corner, where anybody can hold speeches about important
issues.
King Henry took over the land in 1536 after forming the Church of
England. He wasn’t known for his generosity, so he kept the park for himself
and used it as a hunting ground. In 1637, King Charles I made the park
accesible to the public. Thanks for doing that!
Speakers Corner
… was created to give the public a chance to express their views
Every Sunday, it is tradition to stand on a soapbox before starting
their speeches. Members of the audience often challenge the speakers by turning
the events into debates. Of course, violence is not allowed. Unfortunately, we
won’t see any speech because we’re only in London until Saturday. However, a
visit to London has to include a visit to Speakers Corner!
Written by Selina Ronacher
