Visiting Victoria Park: Everything You Need to Know
Boating lakes, an old English garden, a Chinese pagoda, delicious cafes, a rose garden and wide tree-lined walkways; Victoria Park is a tranquil haven in the heart of East London.
Victoria Park, also known as Vicky Park or the People’s Park to locals, is without a doubt our favourite park in London! We’ve lived in London for five years and spent many days walking, relaxing, biking and picnicking here.
Victoria Park is in Tower Hamlets and is the borough’s largest park. It opened in 1845 to provide the densely populated East End with a tranquil escape and green space.
Notable ornaments and structures filled the park in the subsequent decades from 1845. However, the park suffered badly during the war, either through bombing or neglect and the majority of these structures were destroyed.
One of the only original structures to remain is the Burdett Coutts Drinking Fountain in East Park.
This fountain was initially built to dispense clean drinking water to London’s poor who often drank from nearby lakes. Today, surrounding the fountain are multiple benches and it’s a very popular spot for wedding photos!
Victoria Park is 213 acres and is split in two; West Park West and East Park with Grove Road dividing them. Around the park’s perimeter, totalling approximately 4 kilometres is a wide tree-lined walkway, perfect for cycling, walking or running.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the two sections of the park and their features separately.
West Victoria Park
West Park is the smaller of the two and where we spend most of our time.
Dominating this area is Victoria Park Lake, home to a variety of birdlife, geese, swans and ducks. During the summer months, one of the best things to do in London is to rent a pedalo and explore the lake.
Overlooking the lake is Pavilion Cafe, which, although comes with a bit of a price tag, serves a delicious brunch. We’d thoroughly recommend the Sri Lankan breakfast!
Our Top Tip: the cafe is now cashless.
Sitting peacefully on the lake are three islands. On one of the islands is a vibrant-coloured Chinese Pagoda accessed by an intricate iron bridge.
This pagoda has recently undergone a renovation, but its history stretches back to 1847 when it was relocated from a Chinese exhibition at Hyde Park Corner.
Other features in West Park include the Rose and Sunken Floral Gardens, the statues of the Dogs of Alcibiades and the Victoria and Alexandra Playground.
East Victoria Park
The larger of the sections is East Park. Home to tennis courts, cricket pitches and nets, football pitches, an athletic track and a bowling club, this is the side for you if sports is what you’re after.
See if you can find the Old English Garden. This hidden gem was planted in 1916, however, fell into a state of disrepair. In 2012, thanks to a National Lottery Grant, the garden was replanted and brought back to life.
East Park is home to two lakes; East Lake and Model Boating Lake. Model Boating Lake was constructed in 1846 and was a bathing pond between the hours of 4am and 8am.
Outside of these hours, children brought homemade boats to sail and old seaman from Docklands sailed exact replicas of their old ships. Today, the Victoria Park Model Steamboat Club sits on this lake and holds around 14 regattas a year.
East Lake is small and teemed with birdlife and fish. Dotted around this East Lake are various fishing platforms used by anglers.
Close to the Grove Road entrance is a bandstand used by local bands on Sundays in the summer.
There’s also Hub Cafe, towards the centre of East Park which serves tasty pastries and light meals. This was recently re-opened by two local mums to provide a welcoming and friendly community space.
In the centre of East Park is a large outdoor adventure playground that’ll keep the kids entertained for hours. Adjacent to the playground is the Victoria Park Splash Pool open from late May to early September.
Events at Victoria Park
During the year, Victoria Park hosts a variety of events. The most notable of which is All Points East, put on in collaboration with Tower Hamlets. As well as major headline music acts, the event hosts free activities in the week sourced by incredible local organisations.
There’s a Farmer’s market in Victoria Park every Sunday with local produce from fresh fruit and veg to a selection of cheeses, locally baked bread and fresh fish. There are also numerous street food stalls offering a wide range of delicious lunch options.
The market has a real sense of community about it and everyone is so friendly. It’s located on a pedestrianised street in West Park between 10am and 3pm.
Around Victoria Park
Victoria Park is bordered by Regent’s Canal and Hertford Union Canal. If you have a full day, take some time to walk down either of them. Walking along Hertford Canal you’ll reach the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Regent’s Canal leads you to Mile End Park.
To the north of the park is what’s become known as Victoria Park Village. This gorgeous village is one of East London’s most upmarket areas and is filled with well-maintained Georgian and Victorian terraces.
Here, you’ll find high-end restaurants, independent cafes, restaurants, boutiques and pubs.
The best pub in Victoria Park Village is People’s Park Tavern. This pub has one of the largest beer gardens in London and backs directly onto the wide tree-lined boulevard that circulates the park.
There’s an onsite brewery, pop-up cocktail bar and BBQ kitchen. If you’d rather sit in the park, they serve takeaway food and drinks.
To Know Before Visiting Victoria Park
How do I get to Victoria Park?
The closest stations to Victoria Park are Mile End and Bethnal Green Underground Stations and Hackney Wick and Cambridge Heath Overground.
Buses that pass close to or through Victoria Park are numbers 26, N277, 30, 425 and 388.
What are Victoria Park’s opening hours?
The park is open from 7am until dusk 365 days a year. The times can fluctuate and the exact times are on the notice boards at the park’s entrances.
Can I park at Victoria Park?
Yes, there is a car park with limited spaces on Grove Road in East Park.
We hope you enjoyed our guide to Victoria Park. Remember to check out some of our other local’s London guides below.
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