Kensinton Gardens is a park in central London, very close to Notting Hill that used to be part of Hyde Park. It is therefore situated next to that park, separated by a road. At one end of the park is Kensington Palace, the reason for the park's existence. In 1689 William and Mary moved into Nottingham House, which is now Kensington Palace, and requested the division of land. The park was expanded and added to in the 18th century, and then in Victorian times. It was first opened to the public during the reign of Queen Victoria. The total area of the park is 275 acres.
The park contains several very impressive features. The first of these is the Princess Diana memorial playground, which is much bigger and fancier than the one I used to play in as a child. Right next to the playground is the Elfin Oak. This is a long dead oak tree, its surface covered with carvings of various small sprites and birds that have been painted in garish colours. A similar attraction is the large bronze statue of Peter Pan. The park also contains a large round pond, with the official name of: The Round Pond! This contains swans and geese, but is occasionaly used for the sailing of model boats.
Bicycling is forbidden in the park, and rollerblading is discouraged on all but one large pathway. The park rarely contains undesirables, and is an ideal family locations. If you're a tourist in the region during the summer I'd reccomend it as a place to chill out.