Changing the Guard (and the water)

London has earned a reputation - which it is keen to dispel - of being an expensive city. Many of the great displays of pageantry associated with royal London such as Changing the Guard (pictured left) can be enjoyed for free.

The sentries on duty on Whitehall form part of the Queen's Life Guard, which is charged with protecting the monarch when she is in London.

The area just beyond Horse Guards, before you reach St James's Park, is known as Horse Guards Parade. This is the venue for Beating the Retreat and Trooping the Colour in summer.

Independent minded travellers can enjoy the freedom to explore the best of royal and monumental London with the Walk Talk Tour Palace Trail city walking tour. It is easy to confuse Changing the Guard with Mounting the Guard. The former ceremony takes place at Horse Guards, the latter is performed at Buckingham Palace. To hear a short audio sample from the Palace Trail London city guide please click here.

In these troubled economic times, a Walk Talk Tour London audio guide represents excellent value at just £5.95. Buy two tours simultaneously and receive a twenty per cent discount. There are five Walk Talk Tour London audio guides in all. Each of the London city guides is available in English, French, German and Spanish.

Visitors to the British capital can find out when Changing the Guard is scheduled to take place by checking out the Palace Trail London audio tour's Where & When page.

The Palace Trail London travel guide begins outside Westminster Abbey and concludes in front of Buckingham Palace. En route listeners to the Palace Trail podcast guided tour walk through St James's Park. The lake in the Park is currently being drained. See picture above left.

St James's Park is the oldest of the six royal parks in London. King Henry VIII bought the land in 1532. The lake which is being drained in stages was built to the designs of architect John Nash in the early nineteenth century.

The spring clean of the lake is due to be completed by the end of April this year.