Serpentine

SERPENTINE

The Serpentine is an urban lake situated in central London's largest parkland. It marks the dividing point between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  The surface area of the lake covers twenty-eight acres, or sixteen hectares. The name derives from its snake like shape. It is an artificial lake, landscaped in 1730 and it was one of the first manmade lakes deliberately intended to look natural. Before then, created bodies of water had been straight and angular and The Serpentine set a precedent, with its curving lines afterwards widely copied in estates across the country. 

The history of The Serpentine begins with Caroline, the queen of George II, who was responsible for enclosing three hundred acres of Hyde Park to form Kensington Gardens. Enthused with the results, she inquired of the prime minister of the day how much it would cost to enclose the remainder of Hyde Park together with the neighboring Green Park and St James's Park, solely for royal use. The Prime Minister replied, "Three crowns, those of England, Scotland and Wales." The hint was taken and her landscaping was limited to the area from Kensington Palace to The Serpentine.

The Serpentine was formed from the river Westbourne, now surviving as one of London's many subterranean rivers. A small stretch of the hidden river Westbourne can be seen from one of the platforms of Sloane Square underground station, contained within a large pipe that traverses above the tracks and trains, on its journey towards the much larger river Thames. The Westbourne tributary formed eleven natural ponds in Hyde Park which were then enlarged to create The Serpentine. 

The north-western half of lake is properly known as the Long Water and it is partly surrounded by the ornately laid out Italian Gardens, with the larger south-eastern area officially being The Serpentine. The divide between The Long Water and The Serpentine is at the point of the magnificent 1826 George Rennie bridge. The river still feeds four ornamental fountains in the Italian Gardens, thereby maintaining the water level of the lake, even during drought. The inflow of fresh water attracts wildfowl, arriving from the four compass points, many being winter visitors to the lake. Great Crested Grebes, Black Swans, Buzzards and Egyptian Geese have all been spotted in recent times. 

Since its creation, The Serpentine has been actively used for recreational purposes, it has never been a purely ornamental feature. In Queen Caroline's lifetime it was popular for ice skating. Up until the 1850's twelve thousand people regularly swam in the lake. The lido remains open in the summer, with swimming between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. At its deepest the lake is twelve metres. In the summer time there are over a hundred pedalos and row boats available for hire. 

A longstanding tradition continues with a one hundred yards swimming competition held on Christmas Day of every year. The cold winter water is considered hazardous for those unaccustomed to it, so the competition is only open to members of The Serpentine Swimming Club. The event began in 1864 and after JM Barrie had awarded the prize to the winner in 1904, the contest was named, 'The Peter Pan Cup.' JM Barrie lived on the nearby Bayswater Road, the house is marked by a plaque and he wrote the story of Peter Pan whilst living there. On the shores of the lake stands a famous statue of Peter Pan, created by Sir George Frampton in 1912.

At only twenty-one, Harriet Westbrook, the pregnant wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, walked the short distance from her lodgings to the park and was found drowned in The Serpentine in the winter of 1821. Curiously, her surname of Westbrook effectively means the same as Westbourne, the one being a regional variation of the other. Thirty years later in 1851, The Great Exhibition with its majestic centre piece of the Crystal Palace was held on parkland just to the south of The Serpentine. 

To the south west of the lake is The Serpentine Art Gallery and a little further beyond is The Albert Memorial. The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain is also to the south. The Holocaust Memorial Gardens are located at the eastern shore of the lake, the gardens are poignantly marked by two large boulders with emotive inscriptions.

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen is a popular restaurant bordering the lake. The Serpentine lake is situated between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens with access by road from The Serpentine Road, London W2. Car parking is available. Underground Stations include Lancaster Gate and Bayswater to the north of the park and Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge to the south.

Where to view video clips of The Serpentine  and video clips of London

London in motion has some of the best London Stock Footage and London Library Footage with moving clips of many of the above mentioned places to see, are available to browse through by simply visiting the ‘Serpentine’ category of this website.  New additions of London video clips are being frequently uploaded and further categories will be appearing over the coming months.


Copyright: London In Motion 2009
Email: tom@londoninmotion.com