Wikipedia

Regent's Park

For other uses, seeRegent's Park (disambiguation).

Regent's Park(officiallyThe Regent's Park) is one of theRoyal Parks of London.It occupies 410 acres (170 ha) in north-westInner London,administratively split between theCity of Westminsterand theBorough of Camden(and historically betweenMaryleboneandSaint Pancrasparishes).[1]In addition to its large central parkland and ornamental lake, it contains various structures and organizations both public and private, generally on its periphery, includingRegent's UniversityandLondon Zoo.

Regent's Park
Regent's Park is located in London Borough of Camden
Regent's Park
Location within London Borough of Camden
TypePublic park
LocationLondon
Coordinates51°31′56″N00°09′24″W/ 51.53222°N 0.15667°W/51.53222; -0.15667
Area410 acres (170 ha) (1.6 km²)
Operated byThe Royal Parks
OpenOpen, year-round
StatusExisting
Websitewww.royalparks.org.uk/parks/the-regents-park

What is now Regent's Park came into possession of theCrownupon thedissolution of the monasteriesin the 1500s, and was used for hunting and tenant farming. In the 1810s, thePrince Regentproposed turning it into a pleasure garden. The park was designed byJohn NashandJamesandDecimus Burton.Its construction was financed privately by James Burton after theCrown Estaterescinded its pledge to do so, and included development on the periphery oftownhousesand expensive terrace dwellings. The park is Grade I listed on theRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens.[2]

Description

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Regent's Park Lake

The park has an outer ring road called the Outer Circle (4.45 km) and an inner ring road called the Inner Circle (1 km), which surrounds the most carefully tended section of the park, Queen Mary's Gardens. Apart from two link roads between these two, the park is reserved for pedestrians (with the exception of The Broad Walk between Chester Road and the Outer Circle, which is ashared use path). The south, east and most of the west side of the park are lined with elegant whitestuccoterracesof houses designed byJohn NashandDecimus Burton.Running through the northern end of the park isRegent's Canal,which connects theGrand Union CanaltoLondon's historic docks. The 166 ha (410-acre) park[3]is mainly open parkland with a wide range of facilities and amenities, including gardens; a lake with a heronry,waterfowland a boating area; sports pitches; and children's playgrounds. The northern side of the park is the home ofLondon Zooand the headquarters of theZoological Society of London.There are several public gardens with flowers and specimen plants, including Queen Mary's Gardens in the Inner Circle, in which theOpen Air Theatrestands; theformal Italian Gardensand adjacentinformal English Gardensin the south-east corner of the park; and the gardens ofSt John's Lodge.Winfield House,the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, stands in private grounds in the western section of the park, nearthe capital's first large mosque.

South of the Inner Circle is dominated byRegent's University London,home of theEuropean Business School London,Regent's American College London(RACL) andWebster Graduate Schoolamong others.

Abutting the northern side of Regent's Park isPrimrose Hill,another park which, with a height of 64 m (210 ft),[4]has a clear view ofcentral Londonto the south-east, as well asBelsize ParkandHampsteadto the north. Primrose Hill is also the name given to the immediately surrounding district.

Management

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The public areas of Regent's Park are managed byThe Royal Parks,a charity. TheCrown Estate Paving Commissionis responsible for managing certain aspects of the built environment of Regent's Park. The park lies within the boundaries of theCity of Westminsterand theLondon Borough of Camden,but those authorities have only peripheral input to the management of the park. TheCrown Estateowns the freehold of Regent's Park.

History

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Regent's Parkc.1833

In the Middle Ages the land was part of the manor ofTyburn,acquired byBarking Abbey.The 1530sDissolution of the MonasteriesmeantHenry VIIIappropriated it, under that statutory forfeiture with minor compensation scheme. It has been state property since. It was set aside as a hunting and forestry park,Marylebone Park,from that Dissolution until 1649 after which it was let as small-holdings for hay and dairy produce.[5]

Development by John Nash, James Burton, and Decimus Burton

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Although the park was initially the idea of thePrince Regent,and was named for him,[6]James Burton,the pre-eminent London property developer, was responsible for the social and financial patronage of the majority ofJohn Nash's London designs,[7]and for their construction.[8]Architectural scholar Guy Williams has written, "John Nash relied on James Burton for moral and financial support in his great enterprises.Decimushad showed precocious talent as a draughtsman and as an exponent of the classical style... John Nash needed the son's aid, as well as the father's ".[7]Subsequent to the Crown Estate's refusal to finance them, James Burton agreed to personally finance the construction projects of John Nash at Regent's Park, which he had already been commissioned to construct:[9][8]consequently, in 1816, Burton purchased many of the leases of the proposed terraces around, and proposed villas within Regent's Park,[9]and, in 1817, Burton purchased the leases of five of the largest blocks on Regent Street.[9]The first property to be constructed in or around Regent's Park by Burton was his own mansion:The Holme,which was designed by his son,Decimus Burton,and completed in 1818.[9]Burton's extensive financial involvement "effectively guaranteed the success of the project".[9]In return, Nash agreed to promote the career of Decimus Burton.[9]Such were James Burton's contributions to the project that the Commissioners of Woods described James, not Nash, as "the architect of Regent's Park".[10]

Contrary to popular belief, the dominant architectural influence in many of the Regent's Park projects – includingCornwall Terrace,York Terrace,Chester Terrace,Clarence Terrace,and the villas of the Inner Circle, all of which were constructed by James Burton's company[9]– wasDecimus Burton,notJohn Nash,who was appointed architectural "overseer" for Decimus's projects.[10]To the chagrin of Nash, Decimus largely disregarded his advice and developed the Terraces according to his own style, to the extent that Nash sought the demolition and complete rebuilding of Chester Terrace, but in vain.[11]Decimus's terraces were built by his fatherJames.[12][9]

The Regent's Park scheme was integrated with other schemes built for the Prince Regent by the triplet of Nash, James Burton, and Decimus Burton: these includedRegent StreetandCarlton House Terracein a grand sweep of town planning stretching fromSt. James's Parkto Primrose Hill. The scheme is considered one of the first examples of agarden suburband continues to influence the design of suburbs.[13]The park was first opened to the general public in 1835, initially two days a week. The 1831 diary of William Copeland Astbury describes in detail his daily walks in and around the park, with references to the Zoo, the canal, and surrounding streets, as well as features of daily life in the area.[14]

Subsequent history

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On 15 January 1867,forty people diedwhen the ice cover on the boating lake collapsed and over 200 people plunged into the lake.[15]The lake was subsequently drained and its depth reduced to four feet before being reopened to the public.[16]

Memorial to the soldiers killed in Regent's Park in the 1982Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings

Late in 1916, theHome Postal Depot,Royal Engineersmoved to a purpose-built wooden building (200,000 sq ft) on Chester Road, Regent's Park. This new facility contained the depot's administration offices, a large parcel office and a letter office, these last two previously being at theMount Pleasant Mail Centre.HM KingGeorge Vand HMQueen Maryvisited the depot on 11 December 1916. The depot vacated the premises in early 1920.[17]

Queen Mary's Gardens, in the Inner Circle, were created in the 1930s, bringing that part of the park into use by the general public for the first time. The site had originally been used as a plant nursery and had later been leased to theRoyal Botanic Society.

In July 1982, anIRAbomb wasdetonatedat the bandstand,killing sevensoldiers.

The sports pitches, which had been relaid with inadequate drainage after the Second World War, were relaid between 2002 and 2004, and in 2005 a new sports pavilion was constructed.

On 7 July 2006 the park held an event for people to remember the events of the7 July 2005 London bombings.Members of the public placed mosaic tiles on to seven purple petals. Later bereaved family members laid yellow tiles in the centre to finish the mosaic.

Sport

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Sports are played in the park includingcycling,tennis,netball,athletics,cricket,softball,rounders,football,hockey,Australian rules football,rugby,ultimate Frisbee,andrunning.Belsize Park Rugby Football Clubplay their home games in the park.

There are three playgrounds and there is boating on the lake.

Sports take place in an area called the Northern Parkland, and are centred on the Hub. This pavilion and underground changing rooms was designed by David Morley Architects and Price & Myers engineers, and opened byQueen Elizabeth IIin 2005.[citation needed]It won theIStructE Awardfor Community or Residential Structures in 2006.

The Outer Circle is used byroad cyclists.One circuit is 4.45 km. A number of amateur cycling clubs that meet regularly to complete laps of the Outer Circle for exercise and leisure. Prominent clubs include: Regent's Park Rouleurs (RPR), London Baroudeurs (LBCC), Islington Cycling Club (ICC), Cycle Club London (CCL), Rapha Cycle Club (RCC). Many cyclists track & log their rides using the online social network site Strava. As at January, 2018 – some 22,000 cyclists had completed & logged 1.6mn laps of the park using the Strava app.[18]In 2015, Regent's Park Cyclists was formed to represent the interest of cyclists and cycling clubs that use the Inner & Outer Circle.[19]

The park was scheduled to play a role in the2012 Summer Olympics,hosting thebaseballandsoftballevents, but these sports were dropped from the Olympic programme with effect from 2012. The Olympic cycling road race was supposed to go through Regent's Park, as was the cycling road race in the2012 Summer Paralympics,but the routes were changed.[20][21]

Terraces

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Gloucester Gate
Sussex Place

The neoclassicalterracesare grand examples of theEnglish townhouse.Sometimes they are collectively called the "Nash terraces", but other architects contributed. Clockwise from the north, they are:

Immediately south of the park arePark SquareandPark Crescent,also designed by Nash.

See also:Street names of Regent's Park

Villas

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Nine villas were initially built in the park. There follows a list of their names as shown on Christopher and John Greenwood's map of London (second edition, 1830),[32]with details of their subsequent fates:

Close to the western and northern edges of the park

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Winfield House
  • Hertford Villa (later known as St Dunstan's): Damaged by fire. Rebuilt asWinfield Housein the 1930s and now the American Ambassador's residence, with the second-largest private garden in London after the King'sgarden at Buckingham Palace.
  • Nuffield Lodge:A private residence currently owned by theOman royal family), and previously owned byRobert Holmes à Court.Nuffield Lodge is said to have one of the largest gardens in central London after Buckingham Palace and Winfield House. The garden runs along the edge of Regent's Canal.
  • Hanover Lodge:A private residence was the subject of a Court Case in the early 21st century (won byWestminster City Councilagainst the architect,Quinlan Terry,and contractor, Walter Lilly & Co) that ruled that two Grade II listed buildings on the property had been illegally demolished while the property was leased to Conservative peerLord Bagri.
  • Albany Cottage: Demolished. Site now occupied byLondon Central Mosque.
  • Holford House(Stanford's map of 1862): Built in 1832 north of Hertford House, it was the largest of the villas at that time. From 1856 it was occupied byRegent's Park College(which subsequently moved to Oxford in 1927). In 1944 Holford House was destroyed by a bomb duringWorld War II.Demolished in 1948.
  • Between 1988 and 2004,six new villaswere built by theCrown Estateand property developers at the north western edge of the park, between the Outer Circle and the Regent's Canal. They were designed by the EnglishNeo-ClassicalarchitectQuinlan Terry,who designed each house in a different classical style, intended to be representative of the variety ofclassical architecture,naming them theVeneto Villa,Doric Villa,Corinthian Villa,Ionic Villa,Gothick Villaand theRegency Villarespectively.[33]

Around the Inner Circle

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St John's Lodge
The southern gate to the Inner Circle of Regent's Park

Close to the eastern edge of the park

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Park Crescent,home ofInternational Students House,is just aboveRegent's Park station

More attractions

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  • Park Crescent's breathtaking façades by John Nash have been preserved, although the interiors were rebuilt as offices in the 1960s.
  • TheCamden Green Fairis held in Regent's Park as part of an ongoing effort to encourage citizens of London to goGreen.
  • The fountain erected through the gift ofCowasji Jehangir Readymoneyis on The Broadwalk, between Chester Road and the Outer Circle.

Transport

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Nearest Tube stations

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There are fiveLondon Undergroundstations located on or near the edges of Regent's Park:[38]

Nearest railway stations

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Cultural references

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In film and television

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  • In28 Weeks Later(2007), the surviving members of the American military escort Tammy and Andy to Regent's Park to get evacuated out of London.
  • Regent's Park is the setting and closing scene for theblack comedyfilmWithnail and I(1987).
  • The Regent's Park is also the primary setting of the season three episode "Three Legs Good" of the cozy mystery television seriesRosemary & Thyme.
  • Regent's Park is the setting ofCruella de Vil's fashion show inDisney's live-action prequel filmCruella(2021).
  • Regent's Park is the setting of the modern headquarters ofMI5for the spy thriller television seriesSlow Horses(2022).
  • In Disney'sOne Hundred and One Dalmatians(1961), Pongo is barking the alert from Regent's Park. As stated by the great dane.

In gaming

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In literature

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In music

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  • In Madness' single "Johnny The Horse"(1999), the eponymous character ends his days in the park after taking" his battered bones and broken dreams to Regent's Park at sunset ".
  • The artwork toCoil's 1986 albumHorse Rotorvatorcontains a photograph of the bandstand in Regent's Park.
  • Bruno Major's song "Regent's Park"is based on the location.

In art

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References

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Citations

  1. ^"Westminster Boundary".City of Westminster.2008. LA 100019597 2008.Retrieved14 April2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^Historic England,"Regents Park (1000246)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved10 February2016
  3. ^"The Regent's Park".The Royal Parks. Archived fromthe originalon 16 May 2010.Retrieved4 August2012.
  4. ^Mills, A. D. (2004).A Dictionary of London Place-names.Oxford New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-860957-5.OCLC56654940.
  5. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 688.
  6. ^"Landscape History".The Royal Parks.Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2019.Retrieved4 May2019.
  7. ^abWilliams, Guy (1990).Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel.London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. pp.11–12.ISBN0-304-31561-3.
  8. ^abArnold, Dana. "Burton, Decimus".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4125.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  9. ^abcdefgh"James Burton [Haliburton], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/50182.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  10. ^abArnold, Dana (2005).Rural Urbanism: London Landscapes in the Early 19th Century.Manchester University Press. p. 58.
  11. ^Curl, James Stevens (January 2006). "Burton, Decimus".Burton, Decimus (1800–81).Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-860568-3.Archivedfrom the original on 29 March 2022.Retrieved29 March2022.{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)
  12. ^ODNB, Burton, Decimus (1880–1881)
  13. ^Stern, Robert A.M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2013).Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City.The Monacelli Press. p. 23.ISBN978-1580933261.
  14. ^"William Copeland Astbury".Facebook. 15 April 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 8 July 2022.Retrieved30 April2013.
  15. ^The Catastrophe in the Regent's Park,The Times,22 January 1867, p.12
  16. ^Wheatley, Henry Benjamin (1891).London, past and present: its history, associations, and traditions – Henry Benjamin Wheatley, Peter Cunningham – Google Books.Archivedfrom the original on 8 July 2022.Retrieved4 August2012.
  17. ^Col ET Vallance (2015).'Postmen at War – A history of the Army Postal Services from the Middle Ages to 1945' p.110, 114.Stuart Rossiter Trust, Hitchin.
  18. ^"Strava | Run and Cycling Tracking on the Social Network for Athletes".Archivedfrom the original on 10 June 2020.Retrieved8 July2022.
  19. ^"Regent's Park Cyclists – Uniting all of Regent's Parks Cyclists".Regent's Park Cyclists.Archivedfrom the original on 15 February 2018.Retrieved14 February2018.
  20. ^UCI wants London Olympic road race route changedArchived2 September 2012 at theWayback Machine,CyclingWeekly
  21. ^Exclusive: 2012 Olympics road race routeArchived13 February 2011 at theWayback Machine,CyclingWeekly
  22. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 327.
  23. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 227.
  24. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 161.
  25. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 122.
  26. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 1037.
  27. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 208.
  28. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 191.
  29. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 900.
  30. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 382.
  31. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 454.
  32. ^"MOTCO – Image Database".motco.3 March 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved9 February2020.
  33. ^Kenneth Powell (6 November 2002)."Grandeur cannot be done cheaply".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.Retrieved7 May2021.
  34. ^Williams, Guy (1990).Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel.London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. p. 37.ISBN0-304-31561-3.
  35. ^NGS website[permanent dead link‍]
  36. ^Williams, Guy (1990).Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel.London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. p. 133.ISBN0-304-31561-3.
  37. ^Nairn, Ian (1966).Nairn's London(first ed.). Penguin Books.ISBN978-0141396156.
  38. ^"Tube map"(PDF).Transport for London.Archived(PDF)from the original on 25 June 2017.Retrieved16 April2017.
  39. ^"News and Pictures From The 2002 James Bond Celebrity Golf Classic".Archivedfrom the original on 21 November 2008.Retrieved16 November2009.
  40. ^Arnaud, Danielle."Fair Play".Danielle Arnaud.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2017.Retrieved7 December2016.

Sources

Bibliography

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