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| City Guide - London - Further Distractions | ||
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Further Distractions Parks The parkland conurbation of St James's Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens stretches from Whitehall to Notting Hill in the west. Kensington Gardens contains the delightful Serpentine Gallery (tel: (020) 7402 6075) and the refurbished, glittering Albert Memorial, while at Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner, soapbox philosophers harangue passers-by. Regent's Park, just west of Euston Station, is home to London Zoo (tel: (020) 7722 3333); while to its north is Primrose Hill, with a fabulous view and a chic village atmosphere. Hampstead Heath, in the north of the city (tel: (020) 7482 7073), boasts acres of natural parkland, the eighteenth-century Kenwood House, numerous bathing ponds, and another fantastic view over the capital. Battersea Park is an underrated oasis that boasts a boating lake, a maze of paths and a riverside Buddhist temple. Highgate Cemetery Resonating with the ghosts of such luminaries as Karl Marx and George Eliot, Highgate Cemetery is one of London's most evocative attractions. In the West Cemetery, 20 family catacombs surrounding an ancient cedar tree form the remarkable Lebanon Circle. Swains Lane, N6 Tel: (020) 8340 1834. Transport: Underground Archway or Highgate. Opening hours: (East Cemetery) Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1700; Nov-Mar until 1800. (West Cemetery) prior-booked guided tours only. Admission: (East Cemetery) £2; (West Cemetery) £3. |
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