St James's Park

Lean on the railing and look west: at the far end of the lake, through the trees, the front of Buckingham Palace peeps out. Now turn east and you'll see a skyline of domes and turrets straight out of a fairy tale: the government offices of Whitehall. This is one of the most photographed views in London, and you're standing in the city's oldest royal park.

1From marsh to royal garden

There was once a hospital for leper women here, dedicated to St James, which gave the area its name. Henry VIII bought the land in 1532 for deer hunting and built St James's Palace next to it. James I kept a collection of exotic animals here, including camels and even a crocodile. Charles II, who had lived in exile in France, remodelled it in the French style, with a long straight canal, and opened it to the public.

2The ambassador's pelicans

In 1664 the Russian ambassador gave Charles II a gift of pelicans, and the park has never been without them since. Today they live on the rocks near the shore, and you'll often see them sunbathing or strolling among the visitors. The lake's present shape, with its curves, is the work of John Nash, who redesigned it in the 1820s.

The bridge you're standing on, the Blue Bridge, dates from 1957: it replaced a Victorian suspension bridge.

3What to look for

• The view west, with Buckingham Palace in the distance.
• The Whitehall skyline to the east.
• The pelicans, near Duck Island at the eastern end.