Around the time of the Domesday Book, about 900 years ago, the area that became Hyde Park was part of the Manor of Eia and belonged to monks from Westminster Abbey.
In 1536, King Henry VIII seized the manor from the monks, he sold some of the land but turned the rest into a vast hunting park.The appearance of the park remained very much the same until 1625 when Charles l became king and created a circular track called the Ring where members of the royal court could drive their carriages.The park was opened to the public in 1637 and it soon became a fashionable place to visit.
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