NOBTH-WEST AND NORTH LONDON 173 



All this part of London is now being rapidly 

 covered with houses, and the one beautiful open 

 space, with large old trees in it, is Brondesbury 

 Park. How sad to think that this fine park will 

 probably be built over within the next few years, 

 and that the only public open space left will be 

 the Queen's Park — a dreary patch of stiff clay, 

 where the vegetation is stunted and looks tired 

 of life. Even a few exceptionally dirty-looking 

 sparrows that inhabit it appear to find it a 

 depressing place. 



Two miles east of this melancholy spot is 

 Eegent's Park, which now forms one continuous 

 open space, under one direction, with Primrose 

 Hill, and contains altogether 473 acres. It is far 

 and away the largest of the inner London parks, its 

 area exceeding that of Hyde Park by 112 acres. 

 Its large extent is but one of its advantages. 

 Although not all free to the public, it is all open 

 to the birds, and the existence of several more 

 or less private enclosed areas is all in their 

 favour. On its south, east, and west sides this 

 space has the brick wilderness of London, an 

 endless forest of chimneys defiling the air with 

 their smoke ; but on the north side it touches 

 a district where gardens abound, and trees, 



