A Walk Through the History and Horticulture of the Regent's Park

Home , Carlton House Terrace, Decimus Burton, John Nash (architect), Regent Street, Squares in London

the time he died, aged 68. aged died, he time the Park. James’s St

designed to look like grand palaces. grand like look to designed

overweight and an object of satire by satire of object an and overweight and Palace Buckingham remodelled

oripsn eieta terraces, residential imposing four

his health, and he was grossly was he and health, his and residence) London Prince’s (the

the park was to be surrounded by by surrounded be to was park the

His dissolute ways took a toll on toll a took ways dissolute His Terrace House Carlton Brighton,

villas, each set in their own grounds, grounds, own their in set each villas,

from 1811, becoming king in 1820. in king becoming 1811, from at Pavilion Royal the created also

As well as the individually designed designed individually the as well As

in place of his father, George III, George father, his of place in He 60. almost was he when Park

that he was always in debt. He ruled He debt. in always was he that Regent’s designing career, his in late

worked previously. worked

spending from the age of 18 meant 18 of age the from spending Regent Prince the for work began

Repton, with whom Nash had had Nash whom with Repton,

and Marble Arch. He Arch. Marble and style, but his lavish his but style,

adcp einrHumphry designer landscape

including Regent Street Regent including known as the Regency the as known

much inﬂuenced by the ideas of of ideas the by inﬂuenced much

ulig nLondon, in buildings create what became what create

known as ‘picturesque’, and and ‘picturesque’, as known

theatres and other and theatres architecture helped to helped architecture

This layout was a type of design design of type a was layout This

terior design and design terior in churches, as well as

His interest in fashion, in interest His houses country many

composed groups of trees. of groups composed

lifestyle. designing time, his

sweeping grassland and carefully carefully and grassland sweeping

netaaat partying extravagant, an of architect leading

surrounded by a landscape of lakes, lakes, of landscape a by surrounded

The Prince Regent lived Regent Prince The a was Nash John

and envisaged 56 private villas private 56 envisaged and Russia, France and Spain. and France Russia,

The Prince Regent (1762-1830) Regent Prince The (1752-1835) Nash John design based on concentric circles concentric on based design rsort n masdr from ambassadors and aristocrats

of Marylebone Park to create a a create to Park Marylebone of for entertaining visiting foreign foreign visiting entertaining for

of almost £60,000 per year, for an an for year, per £60,000 almost of century. He used the existing circular shape shape circular existing the used He VIII and Elizabeth I both used it it used both I Elizabeth and VIII

would bring the Crown an income income an Crown the bring would know it today to emerge in the 20th 20th the in emerge to today it know was used for royal revels. Henry Henry revels. royal for used was

Nash had hoped that the new estate estate new the that hoped had Nash the magniﬁcent public park as we we as park public magniﬁcent the tradesmen. As well as hunting, the park park the hunting, as well As

proposed were built, enabling enabling built, were proposed areas and housing for servants and and servants for housing and areas

lnigee since. ever planning eight of the private villas that Nash Nash that villas private the of eight a church, marketplaces, service service marketplaces, church, a known as Marylebone Park. Park. Marylebone as known

an important feature of English town English of feature important an until 16 years later. Ultimately, just just Ultimately, later. years 16 until exclusive residences for the gentry, gentry, the for residences exclusive use as a royal hunting ground, ground, hunting royal a as use

buildings and landscape have been have landscape and buildings the building work was not ﬁnished ﬁnished not was work building the 1811 as a complete small town, with with town, small complete a as 1811 enclosed the area for his exclusive exclusive his for area the enclosed

nunil n hscmiainof combination this and influential, completed within the first year, but but year, first the within completed planned the new development in development new the planned bulls and boars. In 1538, Henry VIII VIII Henry 1538, In boars. and bulls

in the town’. Nash’s ideas were very were ideas Nash’s town’. the in The landscape setting was was setting landscape The The royal architect John Nash Nash John architect royal The tract of woodland, full of wild deer, deer, wild of full woodland, of tract

r‘countryside or urbe in rus as known of the Middlesex Forest – a vast vast a – Forest Middlesex the of

was slow and costs escalated. escalated. costs and slow was pioneering version of the concept the of version pioneering into an exclusive residential estate. estate. residential exclusive an into The land here was originally part part originally was here land The

on construction in 1812, but progress progress but 1812, in construction on with a countryside setting, was a was setting, countryside a with made from turning Marylebone Park Park Marylebone turning from made

outlay of just £12,000. Work began began Work £12,000. just of outlay The blend of urban architecture urban of blend The classes. realised that there was money to be be to money was there that realised

with France’s Emperor Napoleon, Napoleon, Emperor France’s with upper the house to estate private

lavish lifestyle, as well as his war war his as well as lifestyle, lavish fashionable a as century 19th early

Regent, who needed to fund his his fund to needed who Regent, the in designed was It public. be to

In the early 19th century, The Prince Prince The century, 19th early the In intended originally not was park The

George IV. George

after the Prince Regent, who later became King became later who Regent, Prince the after

one of the earliest public parks in the UK. It is named is It UK. the in parks public earliest the of one Regent’s Park, which covers almost 400 acres, was acres, 400 almost covers which Park, Regent’s

This walk explores the history, ornamental features and gardens of The Regent’s Park. Find out about the origins of the park, the people and royal personages behind its layout and the design ideas that inﬂuenced centuries of future town planning. Discover the places where a giant conservatory once stood, a pop-up gallery holding priceless works of art and a wooden post oce that sent millions of letters and parcels to soldiers on the frontline during the First World War.

The walk begins outside the gates of Regent’s University London on the

Inner Circle (NW1 4NS). , Charles Allston Collins, 1851. Photo CC-BY-NC-ND © Tate. 3.0 (Unported) Baker Street is the closest underground station. There is level access along the route, except where noted at the beginning of the walk in Queen Mary’s Gardens. A walk through The walk ends at Regent’s Park underground station. the history and

Download an audio version of this horticulture of walk at regents.ac.uk/localwalks Cover image: May, in the Regent’s Park tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collins-may-in-the-regents-park-t03025 The Regent’s Park

01445LEA Regent's Park walk-AW.indd 1 29/11/2019 16:11

the time he died, aged 68. aged died, he time the Park. James’s St

designed to look like grand palaces. grand like look to designed

overweight and an object of satire by by satire of object an and overweight and Palace Buckingham remodelled

four imposing residential terraces, terraces, residential imposing four

his health, and he was grossly grossly was he and health, his and residence) London Prince’s (the

the park was to be surrounded by by surrounded be to was park the

His dissolute ways took a toll on on toll a took ways dissolute His Terrace House Carlton Brighton,

villas, each set in their own grounds, grounds, own their in set each villas,

from 1811, becoming king in 1820. in king becoming 1811, from at Pavilion Royal the created also

As well as the individually designed designed individually the as well As

in place of his father, George III, III, George father, his of place in He 60. almost was he when Park

that he was always in debt. He ruled ruled He debt. in always was he that Regent’s designing career, his in late

worked previously. worked

spending from the age of 18 meant meant 18 of age the from spending Regent Prince the for work began

Repton, with whom Nash had had Nash whom with Repton,

and Marble Arch. He He Arch. Marble and style, but his lavish lavish his but style,

landscape designer Humphry Humphry designer landscape

including Regent Street Regent including known as the Regency Regency the as known

much inﬂuenced by the ideas of of ideas the by inﬂuenced much

buildings in London, London, in buildings create what became what create

known as ‘picturesque’, and and ‘picturesque’, as known

theatres and other other and theatres architecture helped to to helped architecture

This layout was a type of design design of type a was layout This

terior design and and design terior in churches, as well as

His interest in fashion, fashion, in interest His houses country many

composed groups of trees. of groups composed

lifestyle. lifestyle. designing time, his

sweeping grassland and carefully carefully and grassland sweeping

an extravagant, partying partying extravagant, an of architect leading

surrounded by a landscape of lakes, lakes, of landscape a by surrounded

The Prince Regent lived lived Regent Prince The a was Nash John

and envisaged 56 private villas villas private 56 envisaged and Russia, France and Spain. and France Russia,

The Prince Regent (1762-1830) Regent Prince The (1752-1835) Nash John design based on concentric circles circles concentric on based design aristocrats and ambassadors from from ambassadors and aristocrats

of Marylebone Park to create a a create to Park Marylebone of for entertaining visiting foreign foreign visiting entertaining for

proposed were built, enabling enabling built, were proposed areas and housing for servants and and servants for housing and areas

planning ever since. ever planning eight of the private villas that Nash Nash that villas private the of eight a church, marketplaces, service service marketplaces, church, a known as Marylebone Park. Park. Marylebone as known

an important feature of English town town English of feature important an until 16 years later. Ultimately, just just Ultimately, later. years 16 until exclusive residences for the gentry, gentry, the for residences exclusive use as a royal hunting ground, ground, hunting royal a as use

buildings and landscape have been been have landscape and buildings the building work was not ﬁnished ﬁnished not was work building the 1811 as a complete small town, with with town, small complete a as 1811 enclosed the area for his exclusive exclusive his for area the enclosed

influential, and this combination of combination this and influential, completed within the first year, but but year, first the within completed planned the new development in in development new the planned bulls and boars. In 1538, Henry VIII VIII Henry 1538, In boars. and bulls

in the town’. Nash’s ideas were very very were ideas Nash’s town’. the in The landscape setting was was setting landscape The The royal architect John Nash Nash John architect royal The tract of woodland, full of wild deer, deer, wild of full woodland, of tract

or ‘countryside ‘countryside or urbe in rus as known of the Middlesex Forest – a vast vast a – Forest Middlesex the of

was slow and costs escalated. escalated. costs and slow was pioneering version of the concept concept the of version pioneering into an exclusive residential estate. estate. residential exclusive an into The land here was originally part part originally was here land The

on construction in 1812, but progress progress but 1812, in construction on with a countryside setting, was a a was setting, countryside a with made from turning Marylebone Park Park Marylebone turning from made

outlay of just £12,000. Work began began Work £12,000. just of outlay The blend of urban architecture architecture urban of blend The classes. realised that there was money to be be to money was there that realised

with France’s Emperor Napoleon, Napoleon, Emperor France’s with upper the house to estate private

lavish lifestyle, as well as his war war his as well as lifestyle, lavish fashionable a as century 19th early

Regent, who needed to fund his his fund to needed who Regent, the in designed was It public. be to

In the early 19th century, The Prince Prince The century, 19th early the In intended originally not was park The

George IV. George

after the Prince Regent, who later became King King became later who Regent, Prince the after

one of the earliest public parks in the UK. It is named named is It UK. the in parks public earliest the of one Regent’s Park, which covers almost 400 acres, was was acres, 400 almost covers which Park, Regent’s

The walk begins outside the gates of Regent’s University London on the

01445LEA Regent's Park walk-AW.indd 1 29/11/2019 16:11

the time he died, aged 68. aged died, he time the St James’s Park. James’s St

designed to look like grand palaces. grand like look to designed

overweight and an object of satire by by satire of object an and overweight remodelled Buckingham Palace and and Palace Buckingham remodelled

four imposing residential terraces, terraces, residential imposing four

his health, and he was grossly grossly was he and health, his (the Prince’s London residence) and and residence) London Prince’s (the

the park was to be surrounded by by surrounded be to was park the

His dissolute ways took a toll on on toll a took ways dissolute His Brighton, Carlton House Terrace Terrace House Carlton Brighton,

villas, each set in their own grounds, grounds, own their in set each villas,

from 1811, becoming king in 1820. 1820. in king becoming 1811, from also created the Royal Pavilion at at Pavilion Royal the created also

As well as the individually designed designed individually the as well As

in place of his father, George III, III, George father, his of place in Park when he was almost 60. He He 60. almost was he when Park

that he was always in debt. He ruled ruled He debt. in always was he that late in his career, designing Regent’s Regent’s designing career, his in late

worked previously. worked

spending from the age of 18 meant meant 18 of age the from spending began work for the Prince Regent Regent Prince the for work began

Repton, with whom Nash had had Nash whom with Repton,

style, but his lavish lavish his but style, and Marble Arch. He He Arch. Marble and

landscape designer Humphry Humphry designer landscape

known as the Regency Regency the as known including Regent Street Street Regent including

much inﬂuenced by the ideas of of ideas the by inﬂuenced much

buildings in London, London, in buildings create what became became what create

known as ‘picturesque’, and and ‘picturesque’, as known

theatres and other other and theatres architecture helped to to helped architecture

This layout was a type of design design of type a was layout This

as well as churches, churches, as well as terior design and and design terior in

many country houses houses country many His interest in fashion, fashion, in interest His

composed groups of trees. of groups composed

lifestyle. designing time, his

sweeping grassland and carefully carefully and grassland sweeping

an extravagant, partying partying extravagant, an of architect leading

surrounded by a landscape of lakes, lakes, of landscape a by surrounded

The Prince Regent lived lived Regent Prince The a was Nash John

and envisaged 56 private villas private 56 envisaged and Russia, France and Spain. and France Russia,

The Prince Regent (1762-1830) Regent Prince The (1752-1835) Nash John design based on concentric circles concentric on based design aristocrats and ambassadors from ambassadors and aristocrats

of Marylebone Park to create a a create to Park Marylebone of for entertaining visiting foreign foreign visiting entertaining for

proposed were built, enabling enabling built, were proposed areas and housing for servants and and servants for housing and areas

influential, and this combination of of combination this and influential, completed within the first year, but but year, first the within completed planned the new development in development new the planned bulls and boars. In 1538, Henry VIII VIII Henry 1538, In boars. and bulls

known as as known or ‘countryside ‘countryside or urbe in rus of the Middlesex Forest – a vast vast a – Forest Middlesex the of

with France’s Emperor Napoleon, Napoleon, Emperor France’s with upper the house to estate private

lavish lifestyle, as well as his war war his as well as lifestyle, lavish fashionable a as century 19th early

Regent, who needed to fund his his fund to needed who Regent, the in designed was It public. be to

In the early 19th century, The Prince Prince The century, 19th early the In intended originally not was park The

George IV. George

after the Prince Regent, who later became King King became later who Regent, Prince the after

The walk begins outside the gates of Regent’s University London on the

01445LEA Regent's Park walk-AW.indd 1 29/11/2019 16:11 01445LEA Regent's Park walk-AW.indd 2

Queen Mary’s Gardens The Broad Walk Cumberland Green The Victorian Gardens 1 This 18-acre garden was home to the Royal Botanic Society 5 The Broad Walk is what remains of Nash’s 8 Cumberland Terrace, 10 The Avenue Gardens, opened in 1864, were designed from 1838 to 1932. The gardens displayed plants for original 1811 plan for a major thoroughfare built in 1826, was by William Andrews Nesfield in formal Italian style. medical, agricultural and manufacturing uses. Huge tents that was to lead all the way from the centre originally designed The gardens were a popular attraction in Victorian were erected each year for flower shows in May, June and of London at Westminster to a grand new to form the view times, but fell into neglect. They were restored in July. Queen Victoria loved the gardens and was a regular summer palace for the Prince Regent in the for the Prince the 1990s, with ornaments and urns recast from the visitor with her children. park. The avenue was originally planted with Regent from his original designs in reconstituted Portland stone. The elm, but these trees were devastated by summer palace. layout of flowerbeds at the centre of the garden is 2 A huge conservatory of iron and glass once stood here, disease in the 1970s. A series of storms did Three blocks are known as a ‘parterre’. This type of decorative display designed by Decimus Burton, who later designed the Palm further damage during the late 20th century. linked by immense featured densely packed blocks of brightly coloured House at Kew. The conservatory opened in 1846. It was In just one night, 192 trees were blown down decorative arches. It flowers, known as ‘carpet bedding’. The giant circular 175 feet long and 75 feet wide, with a 40-foot high roof. It across the park during the Great Storm of has a ‘palace front’, bowl at the centre, supported by four winged lions, was here that Queen Victoria tasted a banana for the first October 1987. This section of the Broad Walk disguising the row is known as the Griªn or Lion Tazza. It was made by time. There was also a water-lily house, home to a giant was the first part of the park to be opened to of separate houses and apartments behind and artificial stone craftsmen Austin and Seeley in 1893. Amazonian water lily. Its leaves were so large that a man the public on Sundays in 1836. making it appear as a single magnificent building. could sit on a chair upon them. The grand blue and white pediment features 11 The English Garden was designed by William 6 The Broad Walk café stands in the place statuary by George Bubb, representing the arts, Nesfield’s nephew, Markham Nesfield, in 1865-6. 3 The Triton Fountain, by William McMillan, commemorates where John Nash planned to build the Prince sciences and trades of the British Empire. The naturalistic style of the garden contrasts with the wealthy local artist and resident Sigismund Goetze, who Regent’s summer palace. Work on the park formality of the Avenue Gardens. From July to October paid for the ornate gilded gates of Queen Mary’s Gardens took longer than expected and the palace 9 In the First World War, a vast wooden post oªce each year, the English Garden is home to Frieze and much of the garden’s planting and statuary in the was never built. The Prince Regent became stood on Cumberland Green. It delivered more Sculpture, London’s largest free display of outdoor art. 1930s. king in 1820 and turned his attention to than two billion letters and 140 million parcels to developing Buckingham Palace instead. and from the frontline. Called the Home Depot, it 12 Across the road is the Royal College of Physicians, 4 The gardens were re-designed in 1935 by Duncan covered five acres and was the largest wooden designed by Denys Lasdun in 1964. The area at the Campbell, the park’s first Superintendent, to include a 7 The Ready Money Drinking Fountain was building in the world. Most of the 2,500 workers front of the building is laid out as a physic garden, miniature lake with an island and a bridge, and a large given to the park by Indian potentate Sir were women, replacing the men who had been displaying more than 1,000 plants with medicinal circular rose garden, which today contains 12,000 roses. Cowasjee Jehangir in 1869. It is designed called up to fight. By 1918 they were handling 12 uses. There are many tall trees at this junction, known The mound at the centre of the garden that forms the in Victorian gothic style, made of Sicilian million items each week – 19,000 bags of mail as the London plane. The plane is the capital’s most rockeries and waterfall, was made from the soil and stone marble and granite. crossed the English Channel every day, bound common tree. It can grow to 35 metres and live excavated when the larger park lake was created in 1812. for the trenches. Some didn’t make it – 134 mail for hundreds of years. It is particularly resistant to ships were destroyed by the enemy in four years. pollution, shedding toxins along with its bark.

8 7 Download an audio Park Square and Park Crescent 13 Park Square is one of the largest private garden version of this walk at squares in London. John Nash designed the square, regents.ac.uk/localwalks together with Park Crescent, to replace his original 9 plan for a grand circular entrance to the park. The area was previously the location of a temporary art gallery, 6 set up by Count Truchsess, who brought his collection of European artworks to London from Vienna in 1803. 5 The price of entry was one shilling and refreshments were available (a reﬁnement not to be found anywhere else at the time). The gallery featured works by Durer, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Holbein, Cranach, 3 Murillo, Poussin and Watteau. The Count hoped to sell his collection to the nation, but a subscription (an early 2 form of crowd-funding) to purchase the collection raised 11 just £77 and 14 shillings. The gallery closed in 1806 and the contents were sold o¨ – a Rembrandt went for £126, 10 while a Cruciﬁxion by Cranach fetched three guineas.

4 12 14 The Marylebone Road (originally known as New Road) 1 was laid out in 1757 to link the countryside of Islington and Paddington. In Park Crescent there are two ornate garden buildings that mark the entrance to an underground passage beneath the Marylebone Road to Park Square. Known as the Nursemaids’ Tunnel, it Regent’s Park underground allowed children and their nannies, to cross between station the two gardens safely. A corresponding pair of lodges 13 marking the other end of the tunnel can be seen through the railings of Park Square.

14 Level access route

29/11/2019 16:11 Sources: Regent’s Park by Ann Saunders (Bedford College, London. 1981), Route with steps royalparks.org.uk, londongardensonline.org.uk, stjohnswoodmemories.org.uk and parksandgardens.org 01445LEA Regent's Park walk-AW.indd 2