In Mediaeval times the land Regent’s Park was built on was part of the Middlesex Forest and belonged to the Abbey of Barking. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII seized the land and used it as a hunting ground. The trees were cut down in Cromwell’s time to provide timber to construct ships for the Royal Navy. After the Restoration, the Crown let the land out for farming. By the end of the 18th century, development of London had led to the construction of the Marylebone Road. All the land below it as far as Oxford Street had already been turned into housing. The farmland on the north side of the road then became attractive for residential development. There were 500 acres to deal with. Various plans were put forward, but the design ultimately taken up was by John Nash, with the backing of the Prince Regent, the future George IV. (He was regent - standing in as king for his father, George III, during his periods of madness.) The plan was to have two circles lined with terraces. Although the terraces would contain individual houses, each terrace would be constructed to look like a single palace. There would also be 56 individual villas. Construction began after the Napoleonic war, and carried on into the 1840s. Only 8 of the planned 56 villas were built. The London Zoo replaced a couple of the proposed terraces. The Regent’s Canal from Paddington to Limehouse was meant to run through the estate, but it was relocated round the edge to avoid common people rowing up the canal and staring at the rich folk in their houses. Regent’s Park was to be connected directly to the palace at St James’s by a new road, Regent Street, which Nash also designed. The buildings of Regent’s Park fell into considerable disrepair in the early part of the 20th century but Regent’s Park has now been restored to its former glory. To the east of the estate, Nash designed a market area to provide supplies and services for the rich in their villas. This area has now also been converted into normal housing.

The most extravagant houses built in Regent’s Park were huge villas - Hanover Lodge, Grove Lodge, The Holme, St John’s Lodge and Winfield House (where the US ambassador lives). Most other homes in Regent’s Park itself were created in the many terraces which line the Park. Each terrace was built to look like an individual palace from the front, and they are all stucco faced although there are differences in detail in each one. The accommodation behind the facades can differ dramatically from small to large flats and there are even virtual houses. You need to look at the estate agents’ particulars in each case. There are mews linked to many of the terraces, such as Park Square Mews behind Ulster Terrace and Park Square West. The main entrance to Regent’s Park is Park Square. Terraces then run round the Outer Circle. Ulster Terrace is relatively small, with the windows at either end. On either side of York Gate stand York Terrace East and York Terrace West which face onto private roads, so that it is the back of the terraces which look out over the Park. The East Terrace is original but the West Terrace was mainly rebuilt after the war. Nottingham Terrace is close to Madame Tussaud’s. Cornwall Terrace was designed by Decimus Brutus and has three exaggerated porticos with classical columns. Clarence Terrace, a smaller more discreet terrace, backs on to Park Road, near Clarence Gate which opens onto Baker Street. Sussex Place has its own gardens and private road, and is occupied by the London Business School. Hanover Lodge was one of the original villas with extensive grounds. Three new villas called Ionic, Veneto and Gothic were built in the grounds in the late 20th century and three more have been built since. Beyond London Zoo, Gloucester Gate contains only flats. Nearby, St Katherine’s Precinct contains houses in the Gothic style, in contrast to the prevailing Regency style of the Park. Cumberland Terrace was almost completely rebuilt after the Second World War but its facade is original. Cumberland Place contains houses rather than flats. Chester Terrace contains houses which were rebuilt several decades ago but behind the original facade which was retained. The mews behind was replaced by 1960s houses. Nearby Chester Place has original Nash houses. Cambridge Terrace is a mixture of flats, houses and offices as a result of a redevelopment in the 1980s. Cambridge Terrace Mews is entirely modern housing. Cambridge Gate was constructed much later than the rest of the estate and has been converted into a house and flats. Before returning to Park Square, there is St Andrews Place which is a cul-de-sac of Regency houses.

Outside Regent’s Park itself, Albany Street runs south to Great Portland Street. There is a variety of houses from Georgian terraces to mews. On the east side is Cumberland Market, which contains what were intended to be houses for service workers, now converted into small flats. Park Village West contains Nash cottages and small houses in later Gothic style. Park Village East lost a lot of its houses to the railway lines when Euston station was built, but some of the remaining houses have large gardens.

Prince Albert Road runs round the top of Regent’s Park and the canal and it is lined with large and luxurious mansion blocks, for example, Prince Albert Court, St James’s Close, Park St James, Stockleigh Hall, Viceroy Court, Bentinck Close and Oslo Court. Avenue Road which runs down to join Prince Albert Road also contains fashionable mansion blocks such as Imperial Court and Northgate. Park Road runs down the other side of Regent’s Park to Baker Street. Flats here do not have a view over the park but there are sought-after mansion blocks such as The U Building and Abbey Lodge. There are Nash terraces halfway down, such as Kent Terrace which is behind Hanover Terrace, and there are more 19th century houses at the Baker Street end.