Fat Francis / 15 April 2025 / Categories: What to do, Sports & Leisure, Useful Guides

Mount St Gardens and Berkeley Square

A walk in the park has been an activity I have loved either alone or with a companion for as long as I can remember. It began with visits to see George the swan in Batley Park, with Grandma and a fishing net on a doweling pole and then long solitary walks alone in a Leeds, Yorkshire park, The Hollies along with my dog.

When you live in a built up area or are visiting somewhere for the first time finding space and solitude in nature can be a challenge. And where to eat lunch for free when you’ve packed a picnic or packed lunch and are on a budget? Mayfair could be one such challenge surrounded by expensive eateries and posh nosh.

Whenever I am in London these days I’ll often break up the day working or not with a sit down in the park. It’s a pastime I don’t enjoy alone (even if I am alone) as these two outdoor public spaces within 5 minutes of one another are sometimes standing room only even in the winter. Don't think graffiti and broken swings, more like 19th century Age of innocence, freshly painted wrought iron railings and manicured lawns, bandstands, well usually marques for events and exhibitions.

Sometimes it’s a quiet bench for one, and sharing a few breadcrumbs with the birds, a simply joyous activity I love, watching the birds interact for the shared morsels. I am not a talker to strangers in particular but sometimes I’ve had a funny/interesting/annoying/ interaction with someone. Only the other day an especially good looking man asked to share my bench and I said sure. The park is one of those places where you have absolutely no idea what might happen.

Everyone’s heard of Berkeley Square made famous in the song and I’ll often take my sandwich, find a bench, usually facing west as I like the afternoon sunshine and close my eyes for a few minutes. Half an hour in the park people watching, reading my book,

or reading the bench signs, donated in memory of loved ones, offering free respite to anyone.

The people watching in the park is fantastic, all ages, all nationalities love this shared pastime. Rich or poor away from social media everyone is the same in the park, perhaps why historically these open spaces across our towns and cities are places we share moments of passion, grief, solitude or sun bathing. The park is a place where it’s OK to be alone and it’s free and I love that too.

I’ve mentioned Mount St Gardens here because they are more secluded and less well known, a secret garden behind Mount St shared by local residents and suits, looking for even more quiet than Berkeley Square, not so much tourist interest.

There are spectacular unusual trees in the middle of Mount St gardens, London Plane trees, I don’t know the variety, almost tropical like a fat trunked palm tree whose shade I have enjoyed on more than one occasion surrounded by the warm terracotta tones of ornate gothic architecture wondering about the people who live looking out of the windows on the park benches and the people that come and go below.