From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See Rottenrow for the street in Glasgow

Rotten Row and the South Carriage Drive in 1894.

High society riding along Rotten Row

Rotten Row from Hyde Park Corner. It is now this empty much of the time.

Rotten Row is a broad track running along the south side of Hyde Park in London, leading from Hyde Park Corner to the west. In its heyday in the 18th century, Rotten Row was a fashionable place for upper class Londoners to be seen. Today it is maintained as a place to ride horses in the centre of London, but it is little used.

Rotten Row was established by William III at the end of the 17th century. Having moved court to Kensington Palace, William wanted a safer way to travel to the previous St. James's Palace. He created the broad avenue through Hyde Park, lit with 300 oil lamps in 1690 — the first artificially lit highway in Britain. The name "Rotten Row" may be a corruption of the French 'Route de Roi' or King's Road.

In the 18th century, Rotten Row became a popular meeting place for upper class Londoners. Particularly on weekend evenings, people would dress in their finest clothes in order to ride along the row and be seen. The adjacent South Carriage Drive was used by people in carriages for the same purpose.

The sand covered avenue of Rotten Row is still maintained as a bridleway and forms part of Hyde Park's South Ride. It is particularly convenient for the Household Cavalry, stabled nearby at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, who exercise their horses there. Members of the public also ride there, although few people have stables close enough to make use of it.

• Royal Parks history of Hyde Park.

• The Fashionable Hour in Hyde Park — description of 18th century parading on Rotten Row.
• Poem by Frederick Lampson on Rotten Row.
• Hyde Park and Kensington Stables — possibly the only remaining riding school close to Hyde Park.