Holland Park

Overview

Holland Park is considered one of the most romantic, peaceful, and elegant parks in West London, featuring beautiful woodlands alongside perfectly manicured gardens.

Highlights

• Kyoto Garden: A spectacular, tranquil Japanese garden gifted by the city of Kyoto in 1991, featuring a gorgeous tiered waterfall and resident peacocks.
• The Orangery: A beautiful glass-walled building surrounded by meticulously planted formal rose gardens.
• Holland House Ruins: The evocative, bombed-out remains of a great 17th-century Jacobean mansion that now host a spectacular open-air summer opera festival.

History

The park consists of the heavily wooded former grounds of Holland House, a major hub of political and literary activity in the 19th-century. The house was tragically almost entirely destroyed by incendiary bombing during the 1940 Blitz.

Visitor Tips

• Peacocks: Watch out for the famous resident peacocks that freely roam the grounds, especially around the Kyoto Garden and the café.
• Design Museum: The incredible Design Museum is located exactly at the southern edge of the park on High Street Kensington.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.