| Summary : A royal park on the site of Marylebone Park, a royal hunting park. In the early 19th century a commission, headed by John Fordyce, was set up for creation of a new park to comprise a residential area with provision for barracks, a new parish church and a summer palace for the Prince Regent - later King George IV. Architects John Nash and James Morgan were appointed and a design by Nash was used. This comprised an exclusive self-contained residential area with a central double circus of terraces, another circus and a new parish church, a drive encircled with terraces, and 56 detached villas set within the park interior. There would also be a service area with housing for tradesmen, markets and barracks, separated from the residential area by construction of Regent's Canal. Changes to this plan took place prior to construction and involved the reduction of the number of villas to 26, a change in the location of the barracks and canal, and the drive becoming a continous outer circle. Although Nash designed the majority of buildings he involved a number of architects and builders. Work started in 1811 and was completed during the late 1820s. The park was named after the Prince Regent and the terraces after titles held by the prince and his family. The completed design contained a number of alterations from the original design including construction of only 8 villas and the omission of the palace and central circus. The general public were also subsequently allowed into the park, initially by membership of societies which included the Royal Zoological Society in 1828, the Toxophilite Society in 1832 and the Royal Botanic Society in 1838, and from 1835 development of a public park. In the First World War the park was requisitioned for a military camp and drill ground. Second World War uses included a military compound and allotments. By the 1920s most of the villas had been taken over by public institutions, although a few are now private residences. |
More information : Regent's Park is located on land which included Marylebone Park, a hunting park (Monument HOB UID 609581) which was leased to the Duke of Portland but reverted to the Crown in 1809. At the instigation of John Fordyce, Surveyor General of H.M. Land Revenue several plans for the development of the area were proposed. John Nash's plan for the development of Regent's Park found favour with the Prince Regent (later King George IV). Nash intended to surround the park with terraces, with several villas set into the park which was to be landscaped. The Regent's Canal would cut through the north side of the Park, supplying water for an ornamental lake. Building work started in 1812 and continued until the late 1820s.
The park subsequently developed without dramatic change. The most important factor was the progressive introduction of the general public, at first through the admittance of a small number of exclusive societies, such as the Toxophilite Society (Monument HOB UID 909357), the Royal Botanic Society (Monument HOB UID 909358) and London Zoo (Monument HOB UID 609573).
The Second World War brought about the destruction of some of the buildings and sudden changes in the land use of the park. A number of features which have left little trace include anti-glider trenches (Monument HOB UID 909364) and 'Dig-for-Victory' allotments which remained in use until 1946. Identifiable as earthworks are a number of barrage balloon emplacements and air-raid shelters. The latter were situated around the edges of the park. Rubble from the blitz was temporarily dumped within the park and was later used to build up much of the northern area for the formation of sports pitches. Areas where the rubble was stored were identified on aerial photographs at TQ 2815 8315 and TQ 2780 8275. After the clearance of rubble at the latter site it continued to be used as a general military compound. An aerial photograph of 1946 also shows an unidentified emplacement at TQ 2777 8277. (1)
Public park developed from 1812-30 by John Nash. His original plan was the combination of terraced houses and detached villas set within a landscaped park. Much of his plan has been modified but is still recognisable. The main landscaped feature is the lake and islands in the southwest area of the park. The park was opened to the public in 1835. Subsequent development of the park has taken place thoughout the 19th and 20th century. (2)
Landscape park designed by John Nash and James Morgan to create a fashionable residential estate set within an extensive, private park and linked to the city by a new road, Regents Street. The focus of the scheme was a central double circus of houses to be called the Great Circus and Inner Circus in addition to the construction of forty villas. Work started in 1811and was completed in 1827. The final design included a range of alterations and omissions from the original plan; none of the planned crescents of houses or the Great Circus were constructed and only eight of the forty villas had been built. The park was also acquired or leased by societies included the Royal Zoological Society in 1828, the Toxophilite Society in 1832 and the Royal Botanic Society in 1838. From 1835 the park started to be developed as a public park and recreational facilties were provided during the later 19th century. In 1905 and 1908 the Zoological Gardens were extended. The park was requisitioned during the First World War, parts were used as a military camp and drill ground. These areas were used as sports fields after the end of the war. By the 1920s the villas had become too expensive to be maintained as private residences and were taken over by public institutions, the gardens were transferred to parkland. In 1932 gardens within the Inner Circle were redesigned by Duncan Campbell and reopened as Queen Mary's Gardens. ( 3)
In the early 19th century many of the leases on Marylebone Park were coming to an end. John Fordyce together with John Nash and James Morgan were appointed by the Crown, after 1788, to draw up new plans for the park to include a residential area with provision for barracks, a new parish church and a summer palace for the Prince Regent. The park was to be named after the Prince Regent. In 1811 three designs were under consideration which included one by John White comprising a 'rural' landscape park encircled with villas set within their own grounds and an ornamental lake. White's design was not implemented, but a design by John Nash which incorporated elements of White's design was. Nash intended the park to be an exclusive self-contained residential area with access only from the south. The central feature was a double circus of terraces, partly flanked by a lake. Extending around the remaining two thirds of the park was a drive encircled with terraces and within the interior would be 56 villas. A large circus and parish church would be at the southern end at Portland Place. The park would also contain a service area containing houses for tradesmen; meat, hay and vegetable markets in the east, and to the north The Lifeguards and Artillery Barracks. These would have been separated from the residential area by construction of Regent's Canal. The plan was not accepted in its entirety by the Lord Chancellor. Changes included a reduction in the number of villas to 26, removal of the barracks to the east side of the park, changing the the main drive to a continous outer circle, and alteration of the canal route from tranversing the park to extending just inside the park boundary. Although Nash designed the majority of the buildings he involved other architects including Decimus Burton, James Thomson, John Raffield, James Pennethorne and John Joseph Scoles. Much of the building work was undertaken by James Burton, William Mountford Nurse, Richard Mott, William Smith and John Mackell Aitkins. Building work started in 1811and continued into the early 1820s, and the terraces built were named after titles held by the Prince Regent and his family. The implemented design contained a range of alterations and omissions from Nash's plan, due mainly to financial restraints. This included the construction of only the southern half of the circus at Portland Place, Park Square was built on site of the northern half and only eight of the 26 villas were constructed. The summer palace and circus within the centre of the park were not built. (4-6) |