Regent's Park

This is the perfect destination on a hot summers day, escape the busy London stress for some r&r. The park is filled with people soaking up the sun, playing soccer, jogging or just relaxing on the grass. This park is huge, so there's plenty of space for everyone. Do be sure to explore the park, from the perfectly manicured gardens, the beautiful Queen Mary's gardens, the cafe in the park and the London Zoo! It's also the perfect picnic spot, sitting on the lawns with some friends and enjoying some drinks and snacks you can purchase from the Sainsbury's by Great Portland Station.

I can’t believe it took me over a year of living in London to finally visit Regent’s Park! Of all the parks in central London, this is definitely my favourite. There’s so much to do - rent a pedal boat to go around the pond, visit Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, see a show at the excellent Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, or visit London Zoo. My favourite, and most recent discovery however is the peaceful and remarkably quiet St. John’s Lodge Garden which is hidden behind some hedges in the centre of the park. The lodge is privately owned, but the garden is open to the public. It’s designed for meditation and is meant to be a tranquil place for reflection. There are beautiful flower beds and lots of pretty places to sit back and relax.

Regent's Park is a wonderful place for all seasons but is especially best enjoyed on hot glorious sunny days. The little gardens within the inner circle are secret hidden discoveries. Open air theatre is great to visit during summer months. Borders London Zoo close to nearby Camden Town and the Hub is a good to get friends together to play a bit of frisbee and enjoy long boozy picnics. 

Regent's Park is as varied as it is beautiful - from its sports fields to its fountains, the lake to London Zoo, you could easily spend an entire day here and not experience all it has to offer. For the team sports players there are marked pitches to book (and pay for) and less salubrious patches of grass where it's first come, first served. In summer you'd better get down there early, as its soon filled with softball players! There are formal gardens and famous fountains. Herons, coots and swans populate the lake. In all, it seems more planned and intentional than its Hyde Park cousin - easier to navigate and with arguably more to see. There's even a university nestled within the grounds! Spend a morning wandering and then stroll to nearby Camden for lunch - it's an inexpensive way to enjoy London at its finest.

This is the smaller sister of Hyde Park but definitely the more beautiful sister. I love this park so much that I often go weekly for a game of rugby. People play frisbee and football as well and they are all pick up games so you can just feel free to join (most people will readily accept more players unless it is an official match). The gardens are well kept (where do they get the money from?!) and there is also the famous open air theatre where you can catch a show. Look out for the swans! 

I'm lucky enough to live and work very close to Regent's Park, though ungifted enough in orienteering and navigation skills to ever find a direct route through. Really this park is made for ambling and roaming, not commuting. Like the other big London Parks - Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park, Richmond - you completely leave London behind when you enter. With the exception of perhaps Hyde Park, it's also one of the most accessible and central London parks with plenty to do nearby, so you can easily fill in a day in and around it - head to the zoo or Camden market on the north end, the Mosque and canals on the west. The South end probably holds the most tourist traffic, right by the Sherlock Holmes museum (always a queue!), Madame Tussaud's and Baker Street station. Highlights of Regent's Park for me are The Open Air theatre (also hosting outdoor cinema throughout summer), the boating lake, the temporary trapeze classes by Gorilla circus, and the Espresso bar that looks like a quaint little wooden church. Trapeze your heart out then go for scones with clotted cream & jam and loose leaf tea for £5, then bask in the sun before it disappears.

https://www.endomondo.com/routes/731348501

Regent's park is one of my favourite places to walk in London. This 7 kilometre walk is a lovely route around the park if you have a couple of hours to spare. It starts at Chalk Farm tube and heads up primrose hill, where there are stunning views of London's skyline. It then heads down round the edges of London zoo and over the Regent's canal. It gives a pretty view of the London Central Mosque before turning down the side of the boating lake. Near the foot of the lake it crosses the bridge, passing the open air theatre and going into to rose garden. The ornamental bridge has a beautiful wisteria in flower in May. It then heads to eastern edge of the park to walk along Chester Terrace a designed by Nash in the early 19th century. Finally along the southern part of the park to Park Street where you can catch buses to north London or turn left for Baker Street tube and connections to the city centre.

The photos are; Skyline from Primrose Hill, Egyptian Goose by the boating lake, Regent's Canal, Deckchairs and Daisies.

Ah, Regent's Park how I miss you when I'm away from you. And when I go back I enjoy something new and discover a different corner, new flowers or a new crowd of visitors, each time.

This beautiful royal park includes the peaceful boating lake, the glorious 'Avenue' currently showing off its spring display and the romantic Rose Gardens, (in full bloom in August). Wander across to Queen Mary's Gardens and enjoy coffee and cake along the way in the cafe, pack a picnic in a quiet spot or people watch - as this park attracts all sorts of characters!

Of course you musn't forget the Open Air Theatre in summer and various music playing at the bandstand. You can also spot a variety of interesting birds, as well as The Queen's swans of course and if you're lucky, you'll spot the local man feeding herons from chop-sticks!

A really delightful park that London is incredibly lucky to have, it never feels too crowded (even on the hottest days) as there is so much space and, cliched as it is, it's true to say that you really do forget you're in a city of over 8 million people when you visit here.

This most regal of parks is accessible from a number of locations in North and West London - its 4.5km loop has entry points by Camden/Primrose Hill, Swiss Cottage/St John's Wood, Baker Street/Marleybone, and Great Portland Street/Euston stations. Around the outer ring, which also cuts through the middle of London Zoo, cyclists and runners whip around completing lap after lap. The inner ring contains tennis courts and holds the Regent's University buildings.

Great promenades stretch along the public walking areas, and many flower beds and gardens are dotted around. A boating lake is another major attraction - it is great fun to piddle around in a pedalo for a few hours and head to the excellent cafe afterwards. 

When the weather is nice which... actually, when is the weather nice in London? Has it ever been nice? Coming up to the end of January, it seems as though the answer is: No, never. However, when it is nice and sunny out, city workers flock to Regent's Park in their hundreds, and it is a decidedly calm, picturesque space to spend an extended lunch hour eating hummus and sipping on cans of premium European lager beer. 

There is nothing lovelier than Regent's Park on a sunny day. The flowers are magnificent, and it's a lovely peaceful oasis amidst the chaos of urban life. Definitely make time for the pedalos- much merriment ensued when i almost fell in!

I could talk for days on how much I love Regents Park, and in fact I think of myself as quite the expert. Regents Park tube is the obvious starting point but it's so huge you can just as easily come into it from the north along the canal from Little Venice and St Johns Wood, or Camden if you're going the other way. There's the sweetest little rose garden (St Mary's) in the middle where there's also a super cafe and the open air theatre. On a sunny day, just go there and take a book. If you have friends or family in tow, there's sports fields, play areas and the lake where you can take little boats on. Of course there's always Regents Park zoo at the very north of the park. For the adventurous, you're so close to Primrose Hill, maybe sneak there for an afternoon visit and enjoy the breathtaking view of the London skyline.