Kensington Gardens MINI walking tour

This scavenger hunt has a difficulty level of EASY.

Buy either an individual ticket or a group ticket. Your group’s size should be between 3 and 6 people. In fact, children are welcome.

After purchase, to begin your Kensington Gardens walking tour, direct yourself to The Albert Memorial, Kensington Gardens, London W2 2UH, United Kingdom. This is the start location.

Once there, log in to this website on your smartphone and begin your hunt.

Also, you’ll need a fully charged smartphone connected to the Internet (LTE or 4G with a data plan; Wi-Fi isn’t available throughout). Instructions will be supplied on-screen, along with directions, challenges, and some historical information.

Ancient History

This area, including London’s Covent Garden, was inhabited in 4800 BCE, as structures have been unearthed through archaeology.

The Roman Empire settled the area around 100 CE and called it Londinium. This lasted until the 5th century.

Then the Vikings initially assaulted the coastlines and settled in north-eastern England until the 11th century. At this time, William the Conqueror pushed them out of the country and set the first of his 70 castles at Tower Hill. The Tower of London began as the London Fortress in the 1070s.

From then on, the city evolved in every sense (architecture, governance, religion, and more). The population grew rapidly through the centuries, despite losing ⅓ during the Black Death in the mid-14th century.

Hyde Park’s History

King Henry VIII established Hyde Park in 1536 and used it as a hunting ground. It had previously belonged to Westminster Abbey.

Hyde Park opened to the public in 1637. It was particularly popular for May Day parades

Queen Caroline (King George II’s wife) improved the park quite a bit in the early 18th century.

Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, organized the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park. This launched a tradition of cities worldwide hosting a World’s Fair or Annual Exhibition/Exposition.