The Hidden Stories of St James's Park, SW1

Video Description

What Secrets Lie Within St James’s Park? Tucked between Buckingham Palace and Whitehall, St James’s Park is one of London’s most picturesque and historic green spaces. But behind the postcard-perfect scenery lies a fascinating—and at times, dark—past… From its origins as a marshland housing a medieval leper hospital to its transformation into a royal playground by Henry VIII, St James’s Park has seen centuries of intrigue, scandal and transformation. In this video, we delve into the park’s secret history: royal affairs, exotic animals, public executions, duels, and even murder. You’ll discover: The gruesome origins of the park’s name How Henry VIII and Charles II reshaped the landscape Why pelicans still roam the lake today The truth behind the notorious poem, 'A Ramble in St James’s Park' And the chilling murder of a former colonial governor… Whether you’re a London history enthusiast or just curious about the stories hidden in plain sight, this is a walk through the park like no other. 📜 Read the full text of ‘A Ramble in St James’s Park’ (explicit content!): http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/john_wilmot/poems/10966 🕒 Pelican feeding time usually takes place daily between 2:30–3pm! 👀 Watch next: Is This London's Oldest Landmark?https://youtu.be/7jBee4MbWZQ *** Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:06 Marshland & Leprosy 02:43 Henry VIII's Playground 04:18 Royal Menagerie & Decline 05:46 King Charles I's Final Walk 07:37 King Charles II's Merry Makeover 09:38 Pelicans, Violence & Vice 12:20 The Murder of George Burrington, Governor of North Carolina 13:09 The Pagoda Fire 13:59 The Blue Bridge 14:28 Nash's Design & Duck Island Cottage 15:34 St James's Park in WWI & II 17:08 West Island & Robert James Moore 19:17 Outro *** Links for this video St James's Park official website: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park The Banqueting House https://www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/#gs.mu68rn The Guards Museum https://theguardsmuseum.com *** Thank you so much to all of you who support my channel with your kind words, likes and shares. If you're feeling extra generous, you can also support my work with a tip via either the YouTube 'thanks' button (which appears as a heart icon below the video), or alternatively, via my Ko-fi account: https://ko-fi.com/robslondon Any such financial donations are of course greatly appreciated, and they really do help when it comes to creating content. My other links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/cabmirror Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert_lordan/?hl=en-gb Thanks again for watching, friends. Stay well, and please be sure to stay tuned! *** Credits Footage & Images: Deer footage: Mikhail Nilov (pexels.com) Camel: Pexels.com Crocodile: Catherine Franken (pexels.com) Elephant: pexels.com Gondola: Pixaby Suspension Bridge: bridgemeister.com Temporary war buildings: Imperiam War Museum Skull image: Ahmed Adly (pexels.com) Handwriting: Tima Miroshnichenko Heathrow landing: Dave Planes (pexels.com) Fireworks: pexels.com * Sound Effects (all via freesound.org): Horse hooves on stone: playaudio1 Croquet Game: bmoreno Large Fire Burning: craigsmith Large Explosion: SamsterBirdies * Music: Aretes by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100325 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100357 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Wistful Harp (Andrew Huang) Industrial Music Box by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100812 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Go Baroque (Freedom Trail Studio) Dark Walk by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100468 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Messiah (Handel) No. 1 A Minor Waltz (Esther Abrami) The Palace Gardens (Asher Fulero) Walk Through the Park (TrackTribe) ***