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Lungs of London - Regent's Park.
Regent's Park was originally known as Marylebone Park and covers 412 acres, and was built by Nash, for the Prince Regent,
with the park named after him on fields that were once the ancient royal hunting ground.
Another noted developer was the Scotsman James Burton who built a number of important terraces including Cornwall Terrace,
apparently designed by his son Decimus Burton in 1821, who was responsible for the villas in the centre of the park.
Burton built himself a grand villa called the Holme, that is now part of Regent college.
The Prince had proposed a pleasure pavilion or Guinguette that was never built although Nash designed Cumberland Terrace the grandest
terrace in the park opposite the proposed pleasure pavilion of the Prince.
When the park was first laid out it was never intended to be opened to the general public only to invited guests with tickets issued by the Royal Household,
and it was not until 1838 that the park was thrown open to the public.
The Regent Canal, also designed by Nash, runs along the northern boundary, and on the west side of the park is a winding lake.
During the excavation of the canal, with earth taken from basin eleven million bricks were kilned many being used for the building of Regent Street.
There were to be built three markets close to the park Cumberland Market being the only one to be built with the Haymarket being transferred to here
from Pall Mall.
The Zoological Gardens, comprise of 34 acres with the Zoological society was founded in 1826 and it is visited by some two million people each year.
At the north-west corner is Winfield House, that was once the mansion of Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth millionaire,
the house is now the official residence of the United States Ambassador to England.
Old Lamp-posts with the logo of George IV are still to be seen around the park.
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