Serpentine Lake

Hyde Park is separated from Kensington Gardens by the gently curving Serpentine lake, created when the River Westbourne was dammed in the 1730s. At Christmas, it's the site of an only-the-brave swimming race, and in summer people like to rent pedalos (adult/child per hour £10.50/7.50). A solar ferry called the SolarShuttle traverses the Serpentine at river-snail's pace from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain to the boat house near the Dell Café (daily from June to August, weekends only for the rest of the year).