Kensington Palace and Gardens – The Serpentine loop from Notting Hill Gate
Kensington Palace and Gardens – The Serpentine loop from Notting Hill Gate
39
hikers
Kensington Palace and Gardens – The Serpentine loop from Notting Hill Gate
01:50
7.14km
30m
Hiking
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: July 10, 2026
Waypoints
Start point
Train Station
Get Directions
370 m
The Churchill Arms
Highlight • Pub
Translated by Google •
Tip by
1.40 km
Kensington Palace and Gardens
Highlight • Historical Site
The gardens are fenced, unlike some of the other parks, and only open during daylight hours. There are more formal aspects to the gardens than other parks and they were once park of Hyde Park. The Italian Garden is one of the most curated areas, with its fountains and classical statues. The gardens are free to enter.
Tip by
2.75 km
Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
Highlight • Natural Monument
Tip by
2.86 km
The Serpentine, Hyde Park
Highlight • Lake
Translated by Google •
Tip by
3.16 km
Hyde Park
Highlight • Forest
Translated by Google •
Tip by
3.77 km
Serpentine Café
Highlight • Cafe
4.09 km
The Serpentine
Highlight • Lake
Tip by
5.24 km
Italian Gardens, Kensington Gardens
Highlight • Structure
The Italian Gardens are an elaborate mix of four main basins. They feature central rosettes carved in Carrara marble, the Portland stone and white marble Tazza Fountain, and a collection of stone statues and urns. See if you can spot the five main urn designs – a swan's breast, woman's head, ram's head, dolphin and oval.
Did you know?
The gardens are believed to have been a gift from Prince Albert to his beloved Queen Victoria. They are now recognised as being a site of particular importance and are Grade II listed by Historic England.
A brief history of the Italian Gardens
The layout of the Italian Gardens can be traced to Osborne House on The Isle of Wight, where the royal family spent its holidays.
Prince Albert was a keen gardener and took charge of the gardens at Osborne House, where he introduced an Italian garden with large raised terraces, fountains, urns and geometric flower beds.
In 1860 he brought the idea to Kensington Gardens. The design by James Pennethorne includes many features of the Osborne garden.
Look out for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's initials on one of the walls of the Pump House, at the north of the gardens. This building once contained a steam engine which operated the fountains - the pillar on the roof is a cleverly-disguised chimney. A stoker kept the engine running on Saturday nights to pump water into the Round Pond, so on Sundays there was enough water pressure to run the fountains.
royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens/things-to-see-and-do/gardens-and-landscapes/italian-gardens
Tip by
7.14 km
End point
Train Station
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
4.55 km
1.91 km
289 m
265 m
127 m
Surfaces
4.70 km
1.52 km
497 m
413 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Wednesday 15 July
28°C
16°C
0 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 20.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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