The Royal Parks

London: W H Allen. Very Good +/Very Good +. 1986. First Edition. Hard Cover. 4to : 0491035926 Dust jacket complete, unclipped. Green cloth covered boards with bright gilt titling on spine. No ownership inscription. 216 pages clean and tight. The Royal Parks give London a distinction which sets it apart from any other major city in the world. From Greenwich in the east to Hampton Court in the west they have been a source of pleasure and beauty to Londoners for centuries. Their story reflects the very history of England: they have developed as London has developed, cultivated as much by the hand of the Monarchy as by nature herself. The Royal Parks of today are to a large extent relics of royal hunting preserves, an aspect of their origin still evident from the herds of deer in Richmond, Greenwich and Windsor. Even St James's Park, now in the very heart of London, was hunted by Henry VIII before he took over 600 acres of farmland from Westminster Abbey, an area which was later developed into Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The special features of the Parks today also reflect their royal origins: The Observatory at Greenwich, the Botanical Gardens at Kew and the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park all owe their existence to Royal patronage. Donald Edgar's history of the Royal Parks is full of fascinating historical and social insights and is lavishly illustrated throughout with period engravings, maps and full colour photographs which have been specially commissioned from Count von der Schulenberg. It will appeal to both visitor and resident alike as a fitting tribute to one of the most widely appreciated aspects of London's heritage. .