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The Park
Holland Park is the smallest and most romantic of London's parks. It was opened in 1952 on what remained of the grounds of Holland House after large areas had been sold off in the late 19th Century for the construction of substantial houses and terraces to the north and west. The woods and formal gardens of the park, some of which have survived from the early 19th Century, surround the reconstructed Jacobean Holland House.
Holland House is at the southern end of the park and takes its name from an early owner, Sir Henry, Earl of Holland. It was one of the first great houses of Kensington and was occupied by Cromwell's army during the Civil War in the mid 17th Century. During the 19th Century it was a centre of social and political intrigue with statesmen, including Lord Palmerston, mixing with interesting characters like the poet Lord Byron. The House suffered bomb damage during World War II, and now only the ground floor and arcades remain. The restored east wing houses a youth hostel, while the summer ballroom has been converted in to a contemporary restaurant, 'The Belvedere', where all our clients are wined and dined at the conclusion of business.
Features of the park include the Kyoto Japanese Garden, laid out for the 1991 London Festival of Japan, rose gardens, woodland, a wildlife pond and an ecology centre. During the summer months, outdoor opera and dramatic performances are staged at the open-air theatre under an elegant canopy.
This small, but lively, park is more wooded and intimate than the larger royal parks of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to the east and benefits from wooded walks, beautiful views and an abundance of wildlife including rabbits, squirrels and tame peacocks.
Holland Park
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