Parks at War

As part of the Hidden Stories of The Royal Parks series of podcasts, Guild historic researcher, David Ivison, was asked to help produce a podcast with Lucy Kellett, The Royal Parks Interpretation Manager, called Parks at War. David tells us about the practical uses the Royal Parks had during both world wars, paying particular attention to World War 1. 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. Thanks go to The Royal Parks for this article.

The podcast can be heard by clicking HERE and selecting Episode 8: Parks at War.