Above: View from the bridge crossing the lake of Horse Guards.

The land of the park was once part of the extensive land surrounding the old leper Hospital of St James the Less. The land was low-lying, forming a swampy wasteland, crossed by the River Tyburn which is a tributary of the Thames. The land was often flooded by the Tyburn.

The ancient royal residence at Westminster was the Palace of Westminster which burned down in 1512. Henry VIII was the king at the time and he left the palace, agreeing that it could be rebuilt as the home of Parliament – which it continues to be to this day. Henry had his sights on York Place, the London home of the Archbishops of York. The extensive property stood about half-way along today’s street called Whitehall. In 1530, Cardinal Wolsey, who had largely rebuilt the residence, died and Henry VIII acquired it as the new royal palace. It slowly became known as Whitehall Palace.

With Henry VIII holding Court at Whitehall, he set about having another royal building erected on the site of the old leper hospital between1532 and 1533. Henry VIII had the land between St James’s and Whitehall made into a deer park – for hunting – around which was built a substantial fence to try to keep the animals inside.

The deer park stayed largely the same until 1603 when James I became king. He had the land drained and landscaped. At the western end, near what is now Buckingham Palace, there was a large pool known as Rosamond’s Pond. At the eastern end were several small ponds, channels of water and islands. These were used as a duck decoy to lure birds that were shot for the royal table.

As well as landscaping the Park, James I also kept a collection of animals there which included camels, crocodiles and an elephant. There were also aviaries of exotic birds along the south side of the park that is now Birdcage Walk. On the side that is near St James’s Palace, James I created a flower garden. When Charles II became king in1660, the layout of the park became more formal. He had been in exile in France after the English Civil War and had been impressed by the elaborate gardens belonging to the French royal family. When Charles II returned back to England, he ordered the redesign of St James’s Park in the French style.

Above: Part of John Rocque’s map of 1746 showing St James’s Park with the long ‘formal water’ labelled ‘The Canal’. Notice also the long lines of trees beside the water and also along the north and south sides of the park.

The new park was probably created by the French landscape designer, Andre Mollet. The centrepiece was a straight canal, 2,560 feet long and 125 feet wide, lined on each side with avenues of trees. The new park was opened to the public for the first time. Charles II entertained guests there and also courted his favourite mistress, Nell Gwyn. The diarist, John Evelyn, a contemporary of Samuel Pepys, wrote on 4 March 1671 ‘I had a faire opportunity of talking to his Majestie… and thence walked with him thro St James’s Parke to the Garden, where I both saw and heard a very familiar discourse between… [the King] and Mrs Nellie.’

Charles II introduced the game, Pelle Melle, which he had learned while exiled in France. The game was played on a long fenced court and players used a mallet to hit a ball through a hoop. The games courts gave their names to the present day thoroughfares known as Pall Mall and The Mall. In 1664, a Russian ambassador presented a pair of pelicans to the king. Pelicans are still offered to the park by foreign ambassadors and remain one of the most popular sights in the park. They are not only seen on the small island in the centre of today’s large lake but they sometimes are to be seen walking on the grass and even perching on the back of a park bench.

A large townhouse, built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years, was a major new addition to the area. It stands at the western end of The Mall and, due to further substantial additions, has become Buckingham Palace. During the 18th century, there were a few minor changes to the park. One end of the canal was filled in to form the parade ground at Horse Guards. By 1770 Rosamond’s Pond had also disappeared.

In the 1820s, the park received another extensive makeover. It was remodelled in the new naturalistic style. The canal became a curving lake. Winding paths replaced formal avenues. Fashionable shrubberies took over from traditional flower beds. Buckingham House was enlarged to create a new palace with a vast arch faced in marble at the entrance – known as Marble Arch. The arch was later moved in 1851 to the site it occupies today, at the western end of Oxford Street.

The Prince Regent, later George lV, had grand plans for this part of London. He had Carlton House built near The Mall from 1783 onwards. It was as grand as any palace and well beyond his means. The Prince Regent also had Regent’s Park laid out on a large piece of open land. To link the new park with the new Carlton House, he had Regent Street laid out through land that was already filled with lesser streets. All the work was overseen by the architect and landscape designer, John Nash. He produced the plans in 1827 and changes to St James’s Park were put into effect. When the Prince Regent became king, in 1820, he lost interest in the Carlton House idea and it was senselessly demolished in 1829. The only reminder is in the name of Carlton House Terrace.

Today the park has changed little since the early 19th century. Any changes have aimed to complement the work by John Nash. The shrubberies have been restored in the style of his original plans. A new restaurant, which opened in 2004, was designed to blend into the beautiful park and add a much-needed amenity.

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