Green Park (The Mall northern exit) to Paddington Station

From the Mall northern exit follow the signs to Green Park

The meeting place and starting point for the walk is in Queen's Walk (A), by the Ritz Corner Information Board, about 10 m inside the Park from Piccadilly, and a few metres east of the food kiosk situated opposite the park entrance to Green Park tube station. Queen's Walk leads from The Mall on the southern perimeter of Green Park, along its east side to Piccadilly on its northern perimeter. 

[1] Exit Green Park onto Piccadilly and turn right towards the Ritz Hotel (B). A few metres after entering the Ritz Hotel colonnade cross Piccadilly by the traffic lights (Take care here as there are no pedestrian lights) and go straight ahead down Berkeley Street, keeping to the left hand side of the road. Continue to Berkeley Square (C).

[2] At Berkley Square turn left to follow the south side of the square and cross Fitzmaurice Place to go straight ahead into Charles Street. Continue along Charles Street , crossing Queen Street and turn left into Chesterfield Street, and then right into Curzon Street.  There are several Blue Plaques in Chesterfield Street, including those for Somerset Maughan at no.6 and Beau Brummell at no.4. .

[3] Turn right into South Audley Street, cross the road and turn left into Stanhope Gate. Using the controlled crossings, cross Stanhope Gate and then Park Lane and turn left to walk down the far side of Park Lane

As you cross Park Lane you will notice on the central reservation the brightly coloured "Torchlight Chandelier" (D) by Dale Chihuly

[4] Enter Hyde Park (E) through the Curzon Gate and take the path straight ahead. At the next junction take the second path on the right, (passing the 7th July Memorial (F) at the end of the first path to your right.) and continue along this tree-lined path, known as Lovers Walk. Continue to the Joy of Life Fountain (G) and follow the path round the right hand side of the fountain, and continue on the path which goes straight ahead and slightly to the left.  Follow this path which after approx. 40m joins the wide, tarmac Broad Walk. Continue along Broad Walk, and shortly after passing the Upper Brook Street Gate to the right, follow the Broad Walk as it bends round to the left.

[5] Turn left down the path which runs between the main entrance and ticket office for the Olympic 2012 Live Site on your left, and the refreshments facilities on the right..

[6] After passing the Olympic 2012 Shop on your right you will arrive at a a point where three paths meet. Take the middle path which leads off to the right and follow this path, crossing over a number of intersections at each of which you continue straight ahead, until eventually the path merges with a path coming in from the right .  Approx 75 - 100m further on you reach a major junction where the North and West Carriageways meet and will see Victoria Gate on your right.

[7] Cross the Horse Ride (bridle path) and then the North Carriageway to exit the Park via the Victoria Gate. Using the traffic lights (Take care here as there are no pedestrian lights) cross Bayswater Road and go straight ahead down Brook Street. Turn right into Stanhope Terrace.

[8] At the roundabout turn left into Sussex Place and continue to Sussex Gardens. Using the controlled crossing, cross Sussex Gardens and go straight ahead down London Street. 

[9] At the junction with Praed Street, turn left, and use the controlled lights to cross Praed Street. Once across walk a few metres to your right and then turn left down the ramp which leads to the main concourse of Paddington Station [10]

[A] Queen's Walk, Green Park: The Green Park had a humble start but soon became a royal favourite. In 1660, it was no more than the missing link in a chain of parks that stretched from Westminster in the east to Kensington in the West. At this time, England’s new King, Charles II, wanted to be able to walk all the way from Hyde Park to St James's without leaving royal soil. He therefore acquired land between the two established parks, put a brick wall around it and called it Upper St James's Park (later to be changed to Green Park). The King was very fond of his new park and used it to entertain visitors. He built one of the first ice houses in Britain here so that in summer he could give his guests cold drinks. The park was also where the King went for his daily walk or "constitutional" which explains how Constitution Hill to the south got its name.

In the 18th century, the park was a favourite with Queen Caroline, wife of George II. She was a keen gardener and built a reservoir - the Queen's Basin – to provide water to the royal palaces. The Queen's Walk became a fashionable path to the reservoir, much frequented by the aristocrats who built their fine mansions in the adjoining area.

[B] Ritz Hotel:Still one of London’s most famous hotels, the Ritz was opened in 1906 by Swiss hotelier, César Ritz. Neoclassical in style it sought to resemble a stylish Parisian apartment block, built over arcades that consciously evoked Paris’ Rue de Rivoli. Ritz personally managed much of the hotel's operation for many years. He hired world-famous chef Auguste Escoffier to provide cuisine to match the opulence of the hotel's decorations; he placed a special bell in the entryway by which the doorman could notify the staff of the impending arrival of royalty. The high standards to which he held his staff and the ultimate luxury which he provided his guests had been entirely foreign to Victorian Londoners, and the sensation he caused in the hotel industry precipitated a dramatic shift in that industry's focus. In 1995 David and Frederick Barclay purchased the hotel for £80m. and spent eight years and £40m.restoring it to its former grandeur.

[C] Berkeley Square: Berkeley Square Gardens were originally laid out in 1740s, the present layout dating from 1766/7. Lord Berkeley of Stratton, Royalist commander in the Civil War, acquired extensive lands north of Piccadilly soon after the Restoration and the family's London residence was situated near here until 1733. When, in 1696, the 3rd Lord Berkeley sold Berkeley House to the 1st Duke of Devonshire, he agreed to keep a strip of land clear of development to protect the view north from the house. This condition was honoured when the Berkeley estate was laid out for speculative building in the 1730s/40s, and resulted in the present square. The garden was first enclosed in the mid 1740s. Having become neglected, it was laid out anew in 1766/7 since when it has remained virtually unchanged. Improvements carried out in 1994 by Westminster City Council included restoration of the statue 'Woman of Samaria'. The surrounding London Plane trees are among the oldest in central London, planted in 1789

[D] "Torchlight Chandelier": “Torchlight Chandelier” was unveiled in January 2012 as part of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s international public art programme to mark London’s Olympic year. Standing six metres high and weighing 635 kilos “Torchlight Chandelier” is composed of 350 organically-shaped elements, ranging from elaborate ‘horns’ to ‘goosenecks’. It is illuminated nightly. Chihuly is an internationally-celebrated contemporary artist. In his hands, the complex fluidity of hot glass, as beautiful as it is dangerous, is transformed into astonishing sculptures, rich in colour, organic in form and exuberant in nature. Ninety-seven exhibitions in seven countries have presented artworks by Dale Chihuly during the last decade, which have been enjoyed by more than 10 million visitors making Dale Chihuly one of the most popular living artists of the century.

[E] Hyde Park is one of London's finest landscapes and covers over 350 acres. It was originally created to satisfy a royal passion for hunting, but over the years it became a place where people have pursued many other pleasures, and now regularly hosts a number of sporting and music events, and Londoners and visitors alike walk, cycle, ride their horses and picnic in the park.

In 1536, King Henry VIII seized the manor from the monks. He sold some of the land but turned the rest into a vast hunting park that stretched from Kensington to Westminster.

The park was opened to the public in 1637 and it soon became a fashionable place to visit, particularly on May Day.

Many of the striking features you see today in Hyde Park were created in the 18th century by a keen royal gardener, Queen Caroline.  In 1728, she took almost 300 acres from Hyde Park to form Kensington Gardens and she separated the two parks with a long ditch or ha-ha. She also created the Serpentine lake - one of the first created lakes in England that was designed to look natural. It was soon copied in parks and gardens all over the country.

Hyde Park remained the same for almost 100 years until the 1820s when King George IV ordered a makeover. He employed Decimus Burton to create a monumental entrance at Hyde Park Corner. It comprised the Triumphal Screen you can still see today and the Wellington Arch, which was later moved to the middle of roundabout at Hyde Park Corner. Burton also replaced the park's walls with railings and designed several new lodges and gates. At around the same time, John Rennie built a bridge across the Serpentine and Hyde Park was formally split from Kensington Gardens by a new road called West Carriage Drive.

[F] 7th July Memorial: A permanent memorial to honour the victims of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings was unveiled in Hyde Park by Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, in a ceremony attended by senior political figures and the families of the 52 killed, on the fourth anniversary of the disaster, Tuesday 7 July 2009.

Located in the south east corner of Hyde Park, the memorial is just north of Achilles to the east of Lovers Walk. The memorial comprises 52 stainless steel pillars (stelae), collectively representing each of the 52 victims, grouped together in four inter-linking clusters reflecting the four locations of the incidents. Constructed from solid-cast, long-lasting stainless steel, each stelae measures 3.5 metres high and is unique, with individual characteristic finishes brought about by the casting process.

Visitors can walk around and through the memorial, reading inscriptions marking the date, time and locations of the bombings placed on each of the stelae as they pass. A stainless steel plaque listing the names of the victims is sited on a grass bank at the far eastern end of the memorial.

The memorial was produced by a design team including architects Carmody Groarke and engineering team Arup, who worked in close consultation with representatives of the bereaved families and advisors from The Royal Parks and the DCMS, and was cast by Sheffield foundry Norton Cast Products.

[G] Joy of Life Fountain: The Fountain shows two bronze figures holding hands and appearing to dance above the water, while four bronze children emerge from the pool. Designed by T.B.Huxley-Jones, the fountain was donated by the Constance Fund in 1963 to replace the Boy and Dolphin Fountain which stood on this spot before the widening of Park Lane.