Go rollerblading, rowing, wildlife watching and horse riding. Or just enjoy a meal out - or the kids' playgrounds. It's all on offer in Hyde Park (www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park/), bought by Henry VIII in 1536 from Westminster Abbey's monks. Greenwich Park also has a big Henry VIII connection. His former hunting grounds offer great City and docklands views.
Back in the heart of town, St. James's Park (www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/st_james_park/) was a favourite of Charles II. The oldest Royal Park in London saw many a pageant in Elizabeth 1's reign. Nearby Green Park offers a wonderful walk from Buckingham Palace (www.royal.gov.uk/output/page555.asp) across to Piccadilly. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk links several parks. This takes in many of the places associated with her lifetime including Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace. A glimpse of Peter Pan's statue in Kensington Gardens (www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/) is a must for young and old alike.
The world-famous trapezoidal maze at Hampton Court Palace is the oldest surviving hedge maze still in use. A new audio installation for the maze has recently been completed, entitled Trace. Drawing on the idea of the historic maze as a place of furtive conversation and flirtation, visitors are enticed along the green corridors, tempted by tantalising sounds – a fragment of music, a snatch of laughter, the rustle of fine silks and the whispers of an illicit conversation – that disappear around the winding paths.