St James's Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting
Lake/ River/ Ponds
Parks
About St James's Park
This 23-hectare (57-acre) park has a small lake, St James's Park Lake, with two islands, West Island and Duck Island, the latter named for the lake's collection of waterfowl. A resident colony of pelicans has been a feature of the park since a Russian ambassador donated them to Charles II in 1664.

Attractions Near St James's Park
Churchill War Rooms
0.38km from St James's Park
The museum comprises the Cabinet War Rooms, a historic underground complex that housed a British government command centre throughout the Second World War, and the Churchill Museum, a biographical museum exploring the life of British statesman Winston Churchill.
Buckingham Palace
0.5km from St James's Park
Symbol and home of the monarchy of the United Kingdom. The palace has 775 rooms, and the garden is the largest private garden in London. The staterooms, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September and on some days in winter and spring.
Westminster Abbey
0.6km from St James's Park
Gothic abbey church which is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. It is the burial site of more than 3,300 persons, usually of prominence in British history (including at least sixteen monarchs, eight Prime Ministers, poets laureate, actors, scientists, military leaders, and the Unknown Warrior).
Big Ben
0.73km from St James's Park
When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower stands 315 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 39 feet (12 m) on each side. Dials of the clock are 23 feet (7.0 m) in diameter.
Palace of Westminster
0.77km from St James's Park
Meeting place for the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Contains over 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of courtyards and which has a floor area of 112,476 m2 (1,210,680 sq ft). Part of the New Palace's area of 3.24 hectares (8 acres) was reclaimed from the River Thames, which is the setting of its nearly 300-metre long (980 ft) facade, called the River Front.
The National Gallery
0.85km from St James's Park
Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. It is among the most visited art museums in the world.
Discover More Attractions in Greater London, Home of St James's Park
Greater London
34 attractions
Greater London is a ceremonial county of England that makes up the majority of the London region. This region forms the administrative boundaries of London and is organised into 33 local government districts—the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, which is located within the region but is separate from the county.