Regent's Park:
Regent's park is the creation of John Nash, Crown Architect and friend of The Prince Regent. Drawn out in 1811, the plan called for a exclusive residential area in plans to raise money for the crown. From inside the park atop Primrose Hill, you can see down upon Westminster and London. It boasts the largest grassy area designated for sports in London. Regent's park is home to The London Zoo, The Open Air Theater, gardens, an island spotted lake, and much wildlife.
Areas may be rented for sports: football, cricket, rugby, netball, softball, and tennis are all available here.
Many stories exist about how the only reason that John Nash was employed as Crown Architect was that his wife was the Prince's Mistress.
Some truth:
The commoners were not allowed in until 1845, but only two days per week…
Robert Browning proposed to Elizabeth Barrett under an oak tree…
JMW Turner (painter) and Charles Dickens (writer) lived very close by, and ofter went to the park to work on their masterpieces.
The London Zoo, The Worlds First Scientific Zoo
Covering 36 acres, and opened in 1828, the London Zoo housed exotic animals from around the world, which were the study of prominent scientists of the day.
Nineteen years later the doors opened to the public, and became the most popular zooligical attraction in the world.
Today it houses over 650 species, 112 of which are threatened or endangered accoring to the Red Data Books.
The London Zoo breeds 130 some odd species for distribution, and repopulation.
Recently, "Harry Potter and The Sorcer's Stone" and "About a Boy" have filmed turing points of their films here.
It costs £34 for a family of four to enter.
Open Air Theater
The theater was prime spot to find Shakespeare plays since the opening of the park, and still is today. Mainly an acting stage, the theater holds a few free concerts now and then.
An official ampitheatre was constructed in 1932, with seating for nearly 1000, and a small food hut. The theater was redone in 1975, with a seating ability of 1187, and a full-service bar and resturaunt. A picnic lawn has been added in the last few years, along with some redesigning on the seating.
Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Edward Fox, and Jeremy Irons have all performed on the stage of the theatre
It costs about £50 for a family of four to watch a show on a sunday.
The Gardens
The Queen Mary Gardens
Located in the inner circle, the gardens contain trees like the Eudoia, Swamp Cypress, Hornbean, and Caucasian Elm. Along the Center Triton fountain, are rows of cherry trees, sharing space with plants from many other countries.
Rose Gardens
Considered the best collection of roses on the continent. Climbing roses cover pillars that support hanging vines of roses; overall, a whopping 30,000 plants inhabit this area. Obviously a pleasant smelling experience during the spring.
Neat Fact:
As a result of the variety of trees and diverse geography of the park, over 100 species of migatory birds inhabit the park year round.
The gardens are free, of course.
Thank you to the British Royal Parks Agency (http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/regent.htm).
If you want to visit call (020).7486.7905 for some info.