Kensington Palace Garden's paths align with solstices
The gardens of Prince William and Kate Middleton are riddled with pathways carved to symoblically align with the solstices, researchers have discovered.
The 300-year-old paths wind across Kensington Palace Garden's 265 acres (107 hectares) of land.
Physicists from Italy reexamined the complex networks of paths using satellite imagery and discovered that key walkways are orientated along the sunrise of the solstices.
The gardens of Prince William and Kate Middleton are riddled with pathways carved to align with the solstices, researchers have discovered. Pictured is a diagram showing the alignment
Kensington Palace (pictured) has been the home of British monarchs since 1689. It is the current home of Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children
KENSINGTON PALACE Kensington Palace has been the home of British monarchs since 1689. It is the current home of Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children, as well as Prince Harry and other members of the Royal family. The Gardens' network of paths was first drawn up in 1728. 'In origin, the Gardens were the western section of the park created by Henry VIII in 1536 for hunting purposes,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy wrote in a research paper. 'At the request of Queen Caroline, in 1728 the Kensington Gardens were separated from the Hyde Park. 'The Gardens were designed by Henry Wise and Charles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, which included the Round Pond and formal avenues.'
Kensington Palace, which is situated in west London, has been the home of British monarchs since 1689.
The Gardens' network of paths was first drawn up in 1728.
'In origin, the Gardens were the western section of the park created by Henry VIII in 1536 for hunting purposes,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy wrote in a research paper.
'At the request of Queen Caroline, in 1728 the Kensington Gardens were separated from the Hyde Park.
'The Gardens were designed by Henry Wise and Charles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, which included the Round Pond and formal avenues.'
The paths in the Gardens have remained unchanged for almost 300 years.
Now, researchers from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy have discovered that the paths align with the British solstices.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, when the sun will reach its highest point in the sky.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leave the Easter Day service at St George's Chapel on April 16
This year, the event will occur on on June 21, 2017.
On the other hand, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year when the sun will rise to its lowest point in the sky.
This will happen on December 21, 2017.
Near the centre of the public gardens is the Round Pond, which is circled by a path.
Physicists from Italy reexamined the complex networks of paths using satellite imagery (pictured) and discovered that key walkways are orientated along the sunrise of the solstices
Kensington Palace Garden's 300-year-old paths wind across the green space's 265 acres (107 hectares) of land
'In the case of the Kensington Gardens, we [found] that one of the main avenues, radiating out from the circle around the pond, is oriented along the sunrise on the summer solstice,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna said.
'The gardens also have 'another avenue [that] is oriented along the sunrise on the winter solstice.'
Professor Sparavigna added it may be possible to view the sunlight streaming down the paths on the summer solstice because there are no nearby buildings that could block the ancient alignment.
Near the centre of the public gardens is the Round Pond (pictured top right), which is circled by a path. One of the main avenues radiating out from the path aligns with the summer solstice
It may be possible to view the sunlight streaming down the paths (pictured) on the summer solstice because there are no nearby buildings that could block the ancient alignment
But the spectacle could be spoilt by trees looming overhead, she said.
And Kensington Palace opens to the public at 6am, which is after sunrise in the summer months.
It is not clear why the Gardens' pathways were built to align with solstices.
Professor Sparavigna told Live Science that she thinks that the solstice alignments were created 'for symbolic meaning, not for practical reasons.'
But she is unsure as to what the symbolic meaning could be.
The research was published online by the Social Science Research Network.