Holland Park

Until the mid-19th century, the land that now makes up the park was owned by a family who had built a large mansion on the property, known as Holland House.
The home was built in the grand Jacobean style, typical of the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England.

Towards the end of the century, the family began to sell off the outlying parts of the land for the purpose of adding new residential areas to the city. The 22ha (54 acres) that were left of the estate opened in 1952 as a park.
Fortunately some of the original 19th century geometrically arranged gardens have been preserved and are now part of the public park.

Generally, the park is divided into three sections. The northern area is very bucolic and still quite rural, attracting a fair amount of wildlife to this semi-wild woodland area of the park. You’re likely to spot a peacock or two as well as a number of other animals.

In the central section of the park, you’ll find the ruins of the old Holland House mansion. There’s not a lot to see as far as the house is concerned, but the remainder of the central portion of Holland Park consists of the beautiful Kyoto Garden (a Japanese garden), an Orangery (greenhouse), and the open-air Holland Park Theatre, where visitors can see a production by Opera Holland Park.

The remainder of the park is used for sport and includes a cricket pitch and an excellent children’s playground that’s always a big hit with young visitors.