Quick clarification before we start, because it trips people up constantly: this is not the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, the oval water channel we send you paddling through on our Battersea loop. This is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, a different memorial entirely, tucked into the north-west corner of Kensington Gardens next to Kensington Palace — and this one has a pirate ship.

Actually, as of this August, it has a brand new one. The whole playground just reopened after a £3 million renovation, and the old ship has been replaced by a 17-metre wooden galleon with two crow’s nests and a tunnel slide. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s worth going back just for that.

This is one of our shortest, easiest loops — under 10km round trip, entirely through parkland, and built around a single brilliant destination rather than a long list of stops.

Before you roll

• Distance: roughly 8–9km round trip, flat throughout, entirely through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
• Timing: the playground opens at 10am year-round; closing time shifts with the season (as late as 7:45pm in high summer, as early as 3:45pm in winter — check the current time before you set off).
• Cost: free. No booking, no tickets.
• Supervision rule: children must be actively supervised by an adult at all times, and unaccompanied adults are only allowed in during the first half hour after opening. Bring a child, in other words.
• Water play: the playground’s crocodile fountain has been off in recent dry spells due to hosepipe restrictions — don’t promise a soaking you can’t deliver.

Through Hyde Park to the Long Water

From Mayfair, cut into Hyde Park and follow the path along the Serpentine as it narrows into the Long Water — the boundary where Hyde Park quietly becomes Kensington Gardens. It’s one of the prettiest short rides in central London, especially in autumn when the plane trees along the water turn properly gold.

The Peter Pan statue

~20 minutes from Mayfair

On the western bank of the Long Water, close to the Italian Gardens, stands the bronze Peter Pan statue — J.M. Barrie set his stories in these gardens, and the statue has stood here since 1912. It’s a small, quiet stop, but it sets up the theme nicely for what’s coming.

The Italian Gardens

A minute further on, the Italian Gardens are a formal run of ornamental ponds and fountains at the northern tip of the Long Water, built for Prince Albert in the 1860s. Not a playground, but a nice place to let everyone catch their breath before the main event — and there’s usually a coffee kiosk nearby.

The Diana Memorial Playground: pirate ship included

~10 minutes from the Italian Gardens

This is what the whole loop is for. The rebuilt playground centres on that new 17-metre galleon, moored on a sandy “beach,” with a treehouse featuring climbing towers and a tunnel slide, a sensory trail with musical instruments, and a separate sandpit and play-house area for younger children who aren’t ready for crow’s nests yet.

It’s free, it’s enormous, and children up to 12 are welcome — which happens to match our own bikes’ cargo limit exactly, so if you can fit them on the ride here, they’re the right age for what’s waiting at the other end.

The Round Pond, on the way home

South of Kensington Palace, the Round Pond is exactly what it sounds like — a large, flat expanse of water where Londoners have sailed model boats since Victorian times. Swans, geese, the occasional heron, and a wide path all the way round make it a good decompression stop before the ride back.

Home through the park

Retrace the route east through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to close the loop. Flat the whole way, with plenty of grass either side if anyone needs to run off the last of the playground energy before getting back on the bike.

The loop at a glance

Stop	Highlight	Notes
Peter Pan statue	Bronze memorial by the Long Water	Free, quick stop
Italian Gardens	Ornamental ponds and fountains	Free
Diana Memorial Playground	New 17m galleon, treehouse, sandpit	Free; open 10am, closing time varies by season
Round Pond	Model boats, swans	Free

Total distance: 8–9km round trip. Flat throughout. One of our shortest, easiest loops.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Diana Memorial Playground the same as the Diana Memorial Fountain?

No. The Diana Memorial Fountain is a paddling water feature in Hyde Park. The Diana Memorial Playground is a separate, much larger play area in Kensington Gardens, next to Kensington Palace, built around a pirate ship. They’re about a 15-minute walk apart.

Is the Diana Memorial Playground free?

Yes, entry is free for children accompanied by a supervising adult. There’s no booking system — just turn up during opening hours.

What age is the playground suitable for?

It’s designed for children up to 12, with a separate, gentler area (sandpit, play-houses) for younger children who aren’t ready for the galleon’s crow’s nests and tunnel slide.

How far is the ride from Mayfair?

About 8–9km round trip on a flat route through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens — one of our shortest, easiest family loops, well suited to a half-day out.

Photos: the Long Water, Kensington Gardens, by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0), and the Peter Pan statue by carlfbagge (CC BY 2.0) — both via Wikimedia Commons.

Fancy trying it yourself?

We hire electric family cargo bikes from Mayfair — this is one of our shortest loops, perfect if nap times or small legs mean you can’t commit to a full day out. Book your ride on gozoom.uk and we’ll get you rolling.

Go see the new ship. It’s worth the trip on its own.