Hidden Stories of The Royal Parks: Parks at War
A podcast series where we take a behind-the-scenes look at our eight Royal Parks.
From the Royal Observatory of Greenwich Park to the roaming deer of Richmond, together we’ll explore 5,000 acres of historical parkland right in the middle of London. We will meet some of the incredible experts who work at The Royal Parks and discover the fascinating stories of these iconic green spaces.
Episode 8: Parks at War
In this month’s episode we interview David Ivison, historical researcher for The Royal Parks Guild. David tells us about the practical uses the Royal Parks had during both world wars, paying particular attention to WW1.
He explains how the government drained the lake in St James’s Park to make way for the temporary building of the Ministry of Shipping and how much of the parks were taken over for allotments to combat food shortages. We discuss how the wars shaped our parks today and the touching stories of parks' staff who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Published: Wednesday 25th November 2020
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