St. James's Park
London's first royal park was created by Henry VIII when he started construction on St. James's Palace in 1532. The palace (above right) was the first major residence in London for royalty. The park was developed from a field next to St. James's Hospital for leper women, and opened to the general public in 1660. Because there were no powers of arrest within the parks borders, it became a haven for thieves and prostitutes in the eighteenth century. Queen Victoria had the park renovated when she moved into nearby Buckingham Palace in the late 1830s. It now ranks as the most attractive green setting in central London (Glinert 213).
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Text of Clarissa Dalloway's Walk
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