Walking BritainQueensway to Buckingham Palace
London Walk
County/Area - London
Author - Lou Johnson
Length - 3.5 miles / 5.7 km
Ascent - nominal or unknown
Time - 1 hours 50 minutes Grade - easy
Maps 
| Ordnance Survey Explorer 173 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Explorer 173 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Ordnance Survey Landranger 176 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Landranger 176 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
Click image to visit gallery of 12 images.
London, one of the busiest cities in the world, does have many areas of green parkland that offer some respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This walk starts at Queensway underground station and includes Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Green Park in the route. Besides the parkland there are many points of interest that make this a worthwhile half day walk.
Exit Queensway underground station (Central Line), cross Bayswater Road and enter Kensington Gardens by the Black Lion Gate. Walk south on The Broad Walk from here turning right for a short diversion into the Orangery. Return to the Broad Walk and walk south turning right again for another short diversion into the Sunken Garden, which provides a sanctuary of peace and quiet. Return to the Broad Walk and continue south for a further 100 metres where you turn right to view the main gates and front elevation of Kensington Palce, once the home of Diana, Priness of Wales.
Return to the Broad Walk and continue straight across. You are now heading east. Reaching Lancaster Walk turn right to reach the Albert Memorial. Cross over Kensignton Road to the Royal Albert Hall where a circuit of this fine building is worth the effort. Look out for the fine frontage of the Royal College of Organists which faces the Royal Alvbert Hall.
Recross Kensington Road and turn right in front of the Albert Memorial as far as West Carriage Drive. Turn left here and walk north to Serpentine Bridge where there is a good view looking east (right hand side as you approach) along the lake towards the centre of London.
Retrace your steps a short way and walk along the shore of the Serpentine passing the Park cafe. After reaching the end of the Serpentine, three diversions are worth exploring - "the Dell", the "Holocaust Memorial Garden" and "the Rose Garden" - before reaching Hyde Park Corner where the Queen Elzabeth Gate and the Achilles Monument are worth a few minutes.
Cross under the busy road to continue through the Wellington Arch to continue into Constitution Hill. This leads gently downhill towards Buckingham Palace passing the rather poignant Canadian Memorial to reach the Victoria Memorial facing Buckingham Palace and the end of the walk.
Other walks nearby
| Walk 1322 | Green Park to Trafalgar Square | easy | 2.5 miles |
| Walk 2360 | Green Park to Westminster via Sloane Square | easy/mod | 5.5 miles |
| Walk 3012 | Green Park to Trafalgar Square via Lambeth Bridge | easy | 4.5 miles |
| Walk 3698 | Central London from Green Park | easy | 5.2 miles |
| Walk 3013 | Trafalgar Square circular | easy | 3.0 miles |
| Walk 3379 | Euston to the Monument via St. Paul's | easy | 4.0 miles |
| Walk 1326 | The Thames Path Putney to Barnes | easy | 4.0 miles |
| Walk 3129 | Camden Town to Baker Street | easy | 2.5 miles |
| Walk 1570 | Westminster to Green Park via St. Paul's | easy/mod | 5.5 miles |
| Walk 1918 | Parliament Hill and the ponds of Hampstead Heath | easy | 3.5 miles |
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Walking in London
A guidebook to 25 walks in London's green spaces and nature reserves, covering both the city centre and Greater London area. Taking in woods and forests, parks and heaths, canals and rivers, the guide includes a wealth of information about some of the species you might encounter as well as the history and conservation of these areas.
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