Good paths, panoramic views and a chance to enjoy peace and tranquillity in Central London.

This walk starts where Part 1 left off, at Lancaster Gate Tube station.

This half is more serene than the first in that it avoids many of the more crowded places and gardens.

You will see some superb statues and cross vast expanses of parkland passing by lakes which support a huge variety of wildfowl.

In the second half you rejoin the hustle and bustle around Hyde Park Corner and Buckingham Palace to walk down The Mall past Clarence House.

At the end we deviate from the official memorial walk to pass between the Treasury and Foreign Office to walk up Whitehall past Downing Street and the Cenotaph.

If you have already done Part 1 you will know to look out for the Memorial Walk discs which point out the way.

1. Start
Leave Lancaster Gate tube station, cross Bayswater Road, and go through gates into Kensington Gardens. At the Italian Water Gardens go left then right by Queen Anne's alcove to walk with the water gardens (and the back Jenner's statue) on your right. (Edward Jenner was responsible for developing the smallpox vaccine, it is worth going into the Italian Gardens to look down Long Water).

Continue along Long Water until the path forks, here go left and, at the top of the rise, go through gates and turn left to walk around two sides of the squat building, the Magazine, go right over a road crossing and horse ride to turn left.

Take the next turning right towards a wooded area and go right in front of gates passing Hudson's Memorial Bird Sanctuary and going straight ahead at the junction to join a road where you go left, up the hill.

Pass the Old Police House, the headquarters of the Parks' Constabulary on the right and reach cross tracks where the road curves to the right.

2. 0.7 mile/1.1km
Go forward, taking the middle of five possible paths to reach a junction marked by a tree emblem formed by pebbles on the ground (this is the site of a tree which was burnt down in the Riots of 1866).

Take the second turning on the right labelled Hyde Park Corner, the Bandstand'. Just past the end of the railings, turn left and keep ahead over cross paths to reach a road.

Here you will go right but it is worth deviating slightly to inspect the striking Four Winds Fountain.

3. 1.1 miles/1.7km
Continue down the road and again deviate to look at the magnificent statue of Achilles over to the left. (The metal for this statue, erected to the memory of the Duke of Wellington, was obtained from captured cannon.).

At the junction you will see the rather garish gates commemorating the late Queen Mother over to the left but you go right at the line of bollards then over the pedestrian crossing, and through the gates of the Park to cross two more pedestrian crossings to the central island of Hyde Park Corner.

Go under Wellington's Arch and cross the Road by the traffic Lights to reach the new memorial pillars at the top of Constitution Hill.

4. 1.6 miles/2.5km
Instead of walking down Constitution Hill, fork left just after the last of the pillars to go down over the brow of a hill.

Cross other paths and pass the drinking fountain depicting Dianna the Grecian Huntress on your left.

Eventually you reach the blue and gilt Devonshire Gates which you pass but immediately turn right to walk up towards the Victoria Memorial.

On reaching the wall of the memorial (with Buckingham Palace over to the right) turn left to Reach the Mall and go left to walk down past Clarence House, the renovated home of Prince Charles, and turn right across the road at the first junction.

5. 2.3 miles/3.7km
Go through the double gates of St James's Park walking ahead with flower beds on the right to cross a bridge over the Lake and turn left. (On the island you can often see pelicans amongst the hundreds of other water fowl.)

Towards the end of the Lake fork left to follow the railings.

Ignore the plaques on the ground to go straight ahead, across the road, up the steps pass Clive's statue, to walk between the Foreign Office and the Treasury out into Whitehall where you turn left to walk up to Trafalgar square, passing Downing Street on the way.

On Reaching the square Look over to your right to find the entrance to Charing Cross Underground Station.

Factfile

Starting Point/Parking: Lancaster Gate Tube on the Central Line. You will finish at Charing Cross Tube on the Northern & Bakerloo Lines

Distance: 3.2 miles/5.1km

Time: 2.5 hours

Terrain: good dry paths

Suitability for Dogs: suitable for well controlled dogs

Refreshments: kiosks on the route, several good pubs in Whitehall

Public Toilets: at the start and at two places along the route

Map: an A-Z may be useful but see below

More Information: The London Royal Parks Office produces an excellent free Leaflet with a map of the whole walk: 020 7298 2000.

Click here to download the map