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Daffs in St James's Park
Sketch by Mike Flynn
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[By Jimmy Lu and Sasala Wickramasinghe]
In April we draw St James’s Park in the Royal Borough of Westminster
St James’s Park is one of the Royal Parks of London, which are owned by The
Crown and operated by the Royal Parks charity, rather than by the Greater
London Authority or the local authority in which they are located. It is
Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
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Trees and paths of St James's Park
Sketch by Cynthia Barlow
Marrs
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April is an ideal time of the year to draw the park because a variety of
flowers will be in full bloom. The park is home to a wide range of birds,
including pelicans (introduced in the 17th century), herons, and
15 species of waterfowl.
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Photograph by Jimmy Lu
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The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your artist’s
materials.
Key times and meeting points
Meeting points and local landmarks are shown on our location map at the end
of this blog post.
11 AM
Meet at the
Marlborough Gate
on
the north side of the park. It is located on the Mall, roughly halfway between Buckingham Palace and
Admiralty Arch, and is recognisable by its ornate stone and wrought iron
fence. In the case of rain, we will meet
at
St James’s Café
located north-east of the lake.
1 PM
Meet again at the Marlborough Gate for the lunchtime throwdown. (Wet
weather option:
St James’sCafé)
3:30 PM
Meet at the same place for the final throwdown. (Wet weather option: St
James’s Café)
Afterwards
For those who would like to linger after our final meeting of the day,
join us at
the traditional pub
Feathers at 18-20 Broadway, opposite St James’s Park station – see our
location map below.
Options for drawing
The park has plenty of interesting features and views to choose from,
including:
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Photograph by Jimmy Lu
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In addition to St James’s Park itself, nearby drawing options
include:
The Mall -- it is closed to traffic on weekends, and offers
perspectives towards Buckingham Palace and Admiralty Arch
The Mall Galleries (£5 entrance fee)
Waterloo Place, the
Duke of York Monument and the Duke of York Steps
with views overlooking the park
St James’s Palace
The
Horse Guards
Building,
HMTreasury, and AdmiraltyArch
Buckingham Palace
(note: the changing of the guard usually does not take place on
Saturdays)
Trafalgar Square
Green Park.
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Trafalgar Square by Isabel Carmona
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Wet weather options: The tall trees in the park should provide
some amount of shelter. For more protection, indoor sketching options
include:
St James’s Cafe
The Mall Gallery
Admiralty Arch.
History of St James’s Park
The park owes its name to a leper hospital dedicated to St James the Less
that was located in the vicinity. It was a marshy area irrigated by the
River Tyburn when the land was purchased by Henry VIII as a deer park in the
sixteenth century. In the next centuries his successors oversaw drainage
improvements, its transformation into a garden, and its opening to the
public.
The current appearance of the park is largely due to its early 19th
century remodelling by John Nash, who created the lake and redesigned it
in a “romantic” style with winding pathways and more natural-looking
features. It was around this period that various prestigious buildings
were constructed in the area, including Buckingham Palace.
Fun fact: St James’s Park Underground station has had various
spellings. Before the 1930s it was labelled 'St. James' Park' on Tube
maps, then ‘St. James Park,' 'St. James's Park' and finally 'St James’s
Park' without the full stop after the “St.” The roundels on the platform
still bear traces of that spelling evolution.
Practical information
The nearest Tube stations are St James’s Park (Circle, District) and Green Park
(Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria). The Park is also within walking distance
from Westminster (Circle, District, Jubilee), Charing Cross (Bakerloo,
Northern), and Victoria Station (National Rail, Victoria, District,
Circle).
St James’s Café
inside the park is run by Benugo and offers a large array of food and drink
options. There are also a few food kiosks inside the park. The Mall Gallery
Café is another option. Farther afield, the areas around the Green Park and
St James’s Park stations offer a wider variety of places to eat.
The park has two public toilets:
one near Marlborough Gate
(wheelchair-accessible) and
the other one near Horse Guards Parade.
A map of St James’s Park
with all the practical information can be found on the park’s
website.
COVID-19 visit information
Since COVID-19 and its variants remain, even though restrictions have
been lifted, it's sensible
to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers
safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is
low, but basic guidance still applies:
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Please do not attend if you feel unwell
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Wear a face covering when you're close to others
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Give people space, and
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Practice good hand hygiene.
There is also the option of
self-testing before the event.
See you at St James’s Park!
The event is run by Jimmy Lu and Sasala Wickramasinghe.
Location map
⧫ ⧫ ⧫
Draw London with us in May, June, and July!
We'll be sketching in Camden and Twickenham in the coming months. Find
out more at Let's
draw London in 2022. Most importantly, keep an eye on for more details on our 10-year
anniversary events in July!
⧫ ⧫ ⧫
Follow Urban Sketchers London on Instagram and use the hashtag
#urbansketcherslondon to have your drawings featured
Let’s draw St James’s Park – Saturday 23 April 2022
