Regent's Park

One of London’s most celebrated royal parks, Regent’s Park was first laid out by John Nash in 1811, as a hunting ground for Henry VIII and remained a private royal retreat until 1845. Today the 410-acre public park offers welcome respite for the residents of North West London as well as housing the hugely popular London Zoo, where visitors can get up close and personal to an incredible 760 animal species.

The park’s highlights include a boating lake; the recently opened Hanover Gate treehouse playground; the Queen Mary’s Gardens, an exquisite rose garden containing over 400 varieties; and the formal Victorian William Andrews Nestfield’s Avenue Gardens.  Perhaps the most famous spot is the idyllic peak of Primrose Hill, as renowned for its many celebrity residents as it is for its expansive views over London, making it one of the city’s liveliest picnic spots. Regent’s Park is also renowned for its outdoor sports area, currently the largest in London and featuring facilities for football, softball and rugby, alongside a cricket pitch, tennis courts and netball courts.

During the summer months, Regent’s Park is a hive of activity with the park’s Open Air Theatre staging daily performances, a number of music festivals setting up stage in the park and crowds flocking to the park’s many cafés and ice cream stands. The warmer days also offer the perfect opportunity for nature enthusiasts to discover the park’s wildlife, with over 100 wild bird species inhabiting the woodlands and the largest non-charging waterfowl collection in UK.