ALREADY KNOW YOUR NEXT DESTINATION?
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE AUDIOGUIDE
Covering an area of around 170 hectares, Regent’s Park is an enormous green oasis that stands out today for being the largest space in London dedicated to outdoor sports. In a beautiful setting in which there are more than 30,000 roses and 400 different varieties, the lucky inhabitants of this city have at their disposal tennis courts, running tracks, hockey, football and, naturally, rugby pitches. You can even go rowing on the artificial lake of 9 hectares. The Hub is the building that centralises all the sports activities.
Formerly hunting land of Henry VIII, this green space was redesigned and structured in 1811 by the architect John Nash. The commission was drawn up by the then Prince Regent, who in time would be crowned George IV. The project was completed in 1827, but 11 years were to pass before the park was opened to the public.
The final result, however, differed greatly from Nash’s initial idea. The architect had planned, for example, to build 56 villas, of which only 8 were completed, and a summer residence for the monarch, which was never built.
Divided by the pathway of Broad Walk, which takes you to the London Zoo, and surrounded by a wide road 3 kilometres long called Outer Circle, the park is very varied: inside you can find neo-classical villas that belong to Nash’s original project, several cafés, an outdoor theatre and even a mosque.
Lovers of flowers, and especially roses, cannot miss Queen Mary’s Gardens, which is surrounded by the Inner Circle, although they will also enjoy the Rose Gardens.
The leafy display of nature in this park also makes it the home of many animals, such as the hedgehog. So a word of advice: although the grass is very tempting, watch where you put your backside.
Bank of England (55)
Chinatown (41)
Leicester Square (43)
Oxford Street (5)
Queen Victoria Memorial (68)
The Crown Jewels (20)
Trafalgar Square (4)
Big Ben (42)
Covent Garden (39)
London City Hall (107)
Pall Mall (26)
Regent Street (6)
The Shard (117)
Westminster Abbey (79)
10 Downing Street (46)
Admiralty Arch (69)
Battersea Park (73)
Camden Market (78)
Columbia Road Flower Market (10)
Greenwich (108)
Horse Guards (95)
Leadenhall Building (109)
Millenium Bridge (111)
Parliament Square (83)
Richmond Park (13)
Royal Hospital Chelsea (72)
Saint Jame’s Park (94)
Smithfield Market (100)
St Mary-le-Bow (45)
The Barbican Estate (116)
The Old Vic (85)
Victoria Park (119)
Wembley Stadium (15)
20 Fenchurch Street (118)
Albert Memorial (74)
Bond Street (40)
Carnaby Street (106)
County Hall (62)
Guildhall and the Lord Mayor of the City (54)
Kensington Gardens (76)
Leadenhall Market (110)
Neal's Yard (112)
Petticoat Lane Market (97)
Royal Albert Hall (48)
Royal National Theatre (91)
Saint Martin-in-the-Fields (65)
Southbank Centre (63)
Stratford (113)
The Dome (50)
The Routemaster (90)
Wallace Collection (51)
Westminster Cathedral (67)
30 St Mary Axe - The Gherkin (2)
Alexandra Palace (17)
Borough Market (105)
Charing Cross (47)
Dr. Johnson's House (120)
Harrods Department Store (77)
Kensington Palace (75)
Madame Tussaud’s (38)
Notting Hill (11)
Portobello Road Market (12)
Royal Courts of Justice (57)
Royal Opera House (89)
Saint Pancras Station (92)
Southwark Cathedral (59)
Stratford - ArcelorMittal Orbit Center (115)
The Monument (82)
The West End Theatres (98)
Waterloo Station (88)
Winsor Castle (30)
Abbey Road (104)
Apsley House (102)
British Library (53)
Cleopatra’s Needle (64)
Globe Theatre (86)
HMS Belfast (99)
Lambeth Palace (61)
Marble Arch (71)
One Canada Square (3)
Regent’s Park (25)
Royal Exchange (56)
Saint Jame’s Palace (93)
Shepherd’s Bush (14)
Speaker’s Corner (24)
Stratford Sports Facilities (114)
The Old Curiosity Shop (58)
Tower 42 (103)
Wellington Arch (70)