Rotten Row is a wide track that stretches for 1384 metres along the southern edge of Hyde Park, connecting Hyde Park Corner to Serpentine Road. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Rotten Row was a popular destination for wealthy Londoners to go horse riding, showcasing their status to others in high society.
Rotten Row has its origins in the late 17th century, when William III relocated the court to Kensington Palace and required a secure route to travel to St James’s Palace. To this end, he ordered the creation of a wide avenue that ran through Hyde Park, which was lit by 300 oil lamps in 1690. This was a notable innovation, as it was the first artificially lit highway in Britain. The lamps were installed as a safety measure to deter highwaymen, who were known to frequent the area at the time.
Originally named Route du Roi, which translates to King’s Road in French, the track’s name eventually became corrupted into ’Rotten Row’. Rotten Row thus was established as a route for royalty to travel safely between palaces.
Today, Rotten Row is still designated as a place for horse riding in the heart of London, but it is not used as frequently for this purpose. It is maintained and continues to be a recognisable feature of the park’s landscape, with a rich history dating back to its heyday as a hotspot for fashionable equestrians.
