Regents Park: Famous spots and residents

Question: What do Joseph Haydn, Wilkie Collins, HG Wells, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Profumo, Gwen Stefani, Ed Miliband, Kate Moss and Jamie Oliver all have in common?

Answer: They have all lived in Regent’s Park at one point or another.

Of course, by this it’s not meant that each of these luminaries spent their days in the actual park itself, sheltering under the bandstand and clutching wildfowl for warmth. Instead, that they collectively spent many years in the flats and houses surrounding this historic Royal Park.

Haydn, in fact, moved to London especially to live in Regent’s Park in order to enjoy the peace and quiet it offered, whilst R. Vaughan Williams spent the twilight of his life there, setting up at 10 Hanover Terrace in 1953 until his death five years later.

Whilst some of the peace and quiet enjoyed by Joseph Haydn may not be quite so commonplace today, there are many reasons why it still proves popular. Whether its the historic architecture, open parkland or the simple fact that is has the gold dust status of offering a real community feel within zone one of the London Underground, there is still much that brings people to this area time after time.

John Nash-ville

Architect to the Prince Regent, John Nash was an icon of his day, who ended up living in castles and city-centre town houses of his own design. The man who was responsible for – among others – Brighton Pavilion, extensions to Buckingham Palace, Castle House in Aberystwyth and East Cowes Castle also designed many of the iconic crescent-shaped terraces which flank the park.

In fact, Nash designed Cambridge Terrace, Chester Terrace, Cumberland Terrace, Gloucester Gate, Hanover Terrace, Kent Terrace, Park Square, Park Terrace, Sussex Place and York Terrace. Only Cornwall and Clarence Terraces didn’t have Nash as their designer, although he still had something of a hand in their design, with his protégé Decimus Burton instead taking over.

Whilst the insides of Nash’s many homes have been redeveloped since World War Two, the façades have been kept to their original specification. The result is an enviable housing stock that may well have been modernised but still retains the aesthetic appeal of one of Britain’s premier architects.

Regent’s Villa Park

It’s not just the Terraces which gain attention around Regent’s Park, but also the Villas built within its confines. Among them is Hanover Lodge, which was described as “Britain’s most expensive house” after it was sold in 2012 to a Ukrainian bidder for £120 million.

Elsewhere, the old Albany Cottage is long gone, having been replaced by the London Central Mosque, which first opened its doors back in 1978. The iconic building, which was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, stands out for its prominent golden dome, over which some 2,000 worshippers regularly pray.

Winfield House, meanwhile, has long been renowned for having the second largest private garden in Central London, behind only Buckingham Palace, as it sits in around 12 acres of space. Now the official residence of the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Winfield House remains a popular destination for visitors, thanks to its breathtaking gardens and modern art displays. It should come as little surprise that this, too, is another Nash property.

Another site that has been repurposed from Nash’s days is that of South Villa, where Regent’s University London now stands. The private, not-for-profit university is one of just six across the UK that has been given the powers to award degrees. Now one of the largest buildings in Regent’s Park, the institution welcomes around 4,000 students through its doors every year.

Zoo Time

Despite all of the above, buildings and famous people aren’t the only things making a name for themselves in Regent’s Park. Instead, there are a number of other renowned attractions, including ZSL London Zoo.

Famous for being the world’s oldest scientific zoo, ZSL was opened way back in 1828, when the focus was placed much more heavily on research than entertainment. As such, it wasn’t opened to the public until 1847. Since then, of course, its status as both a tourist attraction and research facility has grown, thus helping to make it one of the largest of its kind in Britain. Now, it is home to some 16,802 individual animals across 755 different species.

For all its vast size, though, ZSL does not receive any government funding. Instead, it relies on charitable donations and entry fees to raise its money.

Primrose annuals

Being in such a central location means that it’s not only what’s inside Regent’s Park, but also what’s just on the border. As such, the ever-popular Primrose Hill is a favourite among residents, with it being just the other side of Prince Albert Road.

Offering picture perfect views over Central London, the hill is known for attracting tourists, joggers, cyclists and those from Regent’s Park who want to take a simple stroll.

Just as with Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill is a hugely affluent and desirable area, something that is proven in its equally-illustrious list of big-name inhabitants, which includes W.B. Yeats, Kingsley Amis, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Alan Bennett, John Cleese, Jon Snow, Morrissey, Deborah Meaden, Boris Johnson, Daniel Craig and Jude Law.

So from Nash to Morrissey to the tigers at ZSL, Regent’s Park certainly does have its fair share of famous names and places. Of course, all of this does mean that houses nearby command a premium (among the highest in Britain), but even for all the millions of pounds in asking price, you still get a great deal of value for your money.