Victoria Park, London

Victoria Park in east London, affectionately known as the People's Park, opened in the 1840s as one of the first public parks created specifically to improve the health of the industrial working class. Its wide lawns, lakes and tree-lined avenues drew huge crowds, and it became a traditional venue for political rallies. Features include ornamental fountains and fragments of the old London Bridge reused as alcoves. Restored in recent years, it now hosts major music festivals while remaining a green heart of the East End.