London Photo Gallery - Ravenscourt Park

Ravenscourt Park is a 13-hectare public space near Hammersmith. While it is not a major tourist attraction and seems to serve neighbourhood residents, its small line of cherry trees attracts the crowds during the spring. The area was once part of Paddenswick Manor, where King Edward III's mistress Alice Perrers lived in the 14th century. The house was rebuilt in the mid-17th century and sold to Thomas Corbett in 1747, who renamed it Ravenscourt. By the time the last owner passed away, the area was under threat from residential development. Luckily, the Metroplitan Board of Works purchased the site in 1887 and opened it to the public as a park in 1888. The park has a lot of other tree species and flowers as well.