Victoria Park: London’s Oldest, and the Splash Pool Rules

Victoria Park is London’s oldest public park and takes more visitors a year than the Tower of London.

Over 9 million visitors a year, across 86 hectares. It opened in 1845 for the benefit of the East End working class, which is why it has always been called The People’s Park, and locally just Vicky Park.

That makes it older than every Royal Park opening as a public space, and the largest park in Tower Hamlets by a wide margin.

Open 365 days a year

Victoria Park opens at 7am and closes at dusk, 365 days a year. The specific times are posted on the notice boards at all park entrances.

Worth comparing with what else is nearby and what is not: Greenwich Park shuts at 7pm regardless of the season, and Regent’s Park closes its pedestrian gates at 7pm. Victoria Park follows the light instead, and never closes for a day.

The splash pool switches off when it rains

The most specific rule in the park and the one worth planning a family afternoon around.

The Splash Pool is open 11am to 5pm every day from the Spring Bank Holiday, the last bank holiday in May, until the last weekend of the school summer holidays.

It is turned off if it rains.

So it runs for roughly three months, six hours a day, and a wet morning can close it with no notice. On a borderline day, ring the park rangers before promising it to a child.

Thirteen consecutive People’s Choice awards

The award record is the clearest measure of how well the park is run, and it is unusual.

Victoria Park has held the Green Flag People’s Choice Award for 13 consecutive years.

It also holds Green Flag and Green Heritage awards, and gold medals in the London in Bloom Heritage Park and Large Park categories.

Thirteen years of a public vote is not something any other London park can claim.

It is the middle of a green corridor you can walk end to end

This is the thing to know if you want a long walk rather than a park visit.

Victoria Park is a key link in a chain that runs from the River Thames at Limehouse, along the Regent’s Canal, through Mile End Park, into Victoria Park, and on to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park next door.

So you can walk from the Thames to the Olympic Park almost entirely through parkland and canal towpath. The London Borough of Hackney sits on the park’s northern boundary, so the walk crosses two boroughs.

You can book the buildings

Two buildings in the park are available for room bookings: the Victoria and Alexandra Building and The Hub Building.

That is unusual for a public park and makes it a venue as well as a space. There is also a Memoryscape Trail and other park trails, plus a downloadable map covering gates, buildings and historic points of interest.

The park hosts community events, festivals and live music through the year, and runs a Friends of the Park volunteering programme.

Contacting the park

Park rangers: 020 8985 5699, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. Or victoriapark@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Note the rangers keep office hours while the park is open from 7am to dusk, so there are several hours each day with no one to telephone.

Where it is

Victoria Park, Grove Road, Bow, London E3 5TB.

Mile End, Bethnal Green, Hackney Wick and Cambridge Heath all serve different corners of it, and the Regent’s Canal towpath runs to its southern edge.

How to plan it

Open 7am to dusk, every day of the year.

The splash pool: 11am to 5pm, late May to early September, and off if it rains.

A long walk: start at Limehouse on the Thames and follow the canal through Mile End Park and on to the Olympic Park.

Telephoning the rangers: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm only.

Download the park map first, because at 86 hectares the gates matter.

Victoria Park

Address

Victoria Park, Grove Road, Bow, London E3 5TB

Nearest

Mile End, Bethnal Green, Hackney Wick and Cambridge Heath all serve different corners, with the Regent’s Canal towpath along the southern edge

Hours

Opens 7am and closes at dusk, 365 days a year, with specific times posted at all entrances. Splash Pool 11am to 5pm from the Spring Bank Holiday to the last weekend of the school summer holidays

Booking

None needed. The Victoria and Alexandra Building and The Hub Building are available for room bookings. Park rangers on 020 8985 5699, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm

Price

Free

Standing

London’s oldest public park, opened in 1845 as The People’s Park, at 86 hectares with over 9 million visitors a year

How to get in

Open every day of the year from 7am to dusk, unlike the Royal Parks which close at fixed times. The Splash Pool runs 11am to 5pm through the summer and is turned off when it rains. The park has held the Green Flag People’s Choice Award for 13 consecutive years, and sits in a green corridor running from the Thames at Limehouse to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Where to go next

The parks page compares the rest, and Holland Park is the west London equivalent with the Kyoto Garden.

London Fields Lido is the nearest outdoor pool, and things to do at the weekend covers the days it fills up.

Questions we get asked

Is Victoria Park London's oldest park?

It is London's oldest public park, opened in 1845 for the benefit of the East End working class, which is why it has long been called The People's Park. At 86 hectares it is also the largest park in Tower Hamlets, and it takes over 9 million visitors a year.

What time does Victoria Park close?

It opens at 7am and closes at dusk, 365 days a year, with the specific times posted on notice boards at every entrance. Unlike the Royal Parks, which close at fixed hours, Victoria Park follows the light.

When is the Victoria Park splash pool open?

From the Spring Bank Holiday, the last bank holiday in May, until the last weekend of the school summer holidays, open 11am to 5pm every day. It is turned off if it rains, so check before promising it to a child on a wet day.

Has Victoria Park won any awards?

Yes. It holds Green Flag and Green Heritage awards, has won the Green Flag People's Choice Award for 13 consecutive years, and has taken gold medals in the London in Bloom Heritage Park and Large Park categories.

Can you walk from Victoria Park to the Olympic Park?

Yes. Victoria Park is a link in a green corridor running from the River Thames at Limehouse, along the Regent's Canal, through Mile End Park, into Victoria Park and on to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park next door.

Can you hire a room in Victoria Park?

Yes, two buildings are available for bookings: the Victoria and Alexandra Building and The Hub Building. Enquiries go through Tower Hamlets or the park rangers on 020 8985 5699.