Camley Street Natural Park: a perfect getaway in London
Camley Street Natural Park offers an environment of pristine greenery right in the heartland of London. It is the perfect venue for picnics and day-out with family and friends without having to move out of the city.
Camley Street Natural Park is very unlike other parks of London, in that it is a recent creation dating back to 1984. Compared to other parks of the city that are centuries old and have royal backgrounds, this was once a coal yard in the heart of the city. Located in King’s Cross just beside St. Pancreas Eurostar station, this natural park offers a green and tranquil respite to Londoners and tourists alike.
Situated on the south western bank of Regent Canal this park is made up of meadows, woodland, and ponds and inhabited by birds, butterflies, amphibians, bees and other insects. These two acres of vibrant greenery inspires you to spend some quality time with your family and friends amidst a pristine surrounding even without leaving London. Visitors of all age groups love to frequent this place as it is easily accessible from all parts of the city and provides the perfect ambience for relaxing or picnic amidst nature.
Activities in Camley Natural Park
Camley Street National Park is used for nature study and outdoor learning sessions for children. Young school students accompanied by their teachers come here for nature study throughout the year. Learners would be enthused to discover kingfisher, reed warbler, reed bunting, mallard, geese of several kinds, and bats.
The venue is also available for meetings and day outs. Picnics are regular especially in weekends during summer.
Visitors Information
*Address: 12 Camley Street, Greater London, London N1C 4PW
*Opening hours: April – September 10am – 5pm on all days
*October – March 10am – 4pm on all days
*Best time: April to August
*Facilities: Picnic, visitors’ centre, toilets, accessible to physically challenged
*Parking: Not available within park premises; parking in Arcade car park, and Judd Street
*Pets: Only guide dogs permissible
*Access: Tube rail stations – King’s Cross, Mornington Crescent;
*Surface railway – Camden Road, Caledonian Road and Barnsbury
Other activities
While spending a vacation in London with children a visit to Camley Street Natural Park is worthwhile. There are several noteworthy places near Camley that would please children. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Museum of London, Green Park, Hyde Park, London Zoo, and Madam Taussads are within easy reach of Camley. Shopping for the kids in London in Bond Street or Oxford Street is great fun. Kids’ dresses in bright colours and trendy cuts are sold in shops lining Oxford Street and Bond Street. Shopping in London is a major attraction and could take several hours if not days. It is not surprising to see tourists coming to London only for shopping.
Every world renowned designer has a presence in this capital city of England. Dresses, accessories, shoes, leather goods, jewellery, cosmetics, electronic products, household items,
artefacts etc are all available in London.
Children’s attractions in London
London city has something for everybody. Even kids love to be in this place for its various attractions.
Zoological Society of London or London Zoo –ZSL is among the world’s oldest zoos. This area of 36 acres is located in the northern side of Regent’s Park. London Zoo has the oldest reptile house, insect house, aquarium, and children’s zoo. There are more than 800 species of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates. The zoo remains open on all days except Christmas Day. The gates open at 10 am and closing time varies from 4pm to 6pm depending on the month. Summer event ‘Sunset Safari’ is a large draw for children and their parents.
The British Museum – The British Museum is close to Camley Street Natural Park. Every year around six million visitors come to this museum founded in 1753. Among other exhibits Egyptian mummies, Parthenon structures, and Rosetta Stone are outstanding. Visit to the museum is free. The museum opens at 10 pm and closes at 5:30pm except on Fridays when it closes at 8:30pm.
Bank of England Museum – This is a great place to teach your children the value of money. Gold bars from ancient times are on display and children are allowed to even lift them. The history of the Bank of England since its inception in 1694 is displayed through exhibits, documents and pictures. Documents relating to George Washington, Horatio Nelson, and Duchess of Marlborough are on display. The doors of this museum remain open from 10am till 5pm with Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays staying closed.
HMS Belfast – This is the largest preserved Second World War warship in entire Europe. With nine decks and a sailor’s mess this warship offers an informative and enlightening tour for every member of a family. Children are offered hands-on activities that make the visit more enjoyable. Opening times are from 10am - 6pm between March and October with last admission at 5pm; and between 10am – 5pm between November and February with last admission at 4pm. HMS Belfast stays closed from 24th – 26th December.
Accommodation near Camley
Camley is located just near King’s Cross and is thus connected well to all parts of London. You could choose to stay in any hotel of your preference. BW Shaftesbury Paddington Court London is one such accommodation that not only is close to Central London but is easily accessible from city’s airports and Paddington Railway station. The amenities and facilities in these luxury hotels make your staying peaceful and comfortable.
Guest rooms are climate controlled and provided with interactive LCD television sets with satellite channels, and Internet accessibility. Refrigerators with mini-bar, electronic safe, digital alarm clock, coffee/tea maker, hair dryer, and bath robe and bathroom slippers are other amenities offered to guests. To make your staying comfortable and fulfilling these hotels have elaborate facilities. Multilingual staff makes communication easy and your stay homely. Fully functional business service lets you execute you official tasks without interruptions. Conference rooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipments make presentations prompt and error free. Travel assistance service takes care of your car rentals and ticketing. You could even avail foreign exchange facilities in these London hotels.
