Regent's Park
Camden Town London NW1 4NR
Pretty much every Londoner has had a picnic or basked in the sun in the Regent's Park at some point in their lives. And if they haven't done that then they will have visited London Zoo. One of the most revered of London's Royal parks, it's also home to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, although with no less than 100 acres of outdoor sports space, it's also the largest outdoor sports area in London. The history of the park dates back to Henry VIII's reign, when he decided to claim its 197 hectares as a hunting ground. Over time, the park was shaped and moulded by the insertion of canals, lakes and terraces until the Zoological society and Royal Botanical society decided to make it their home. Now the park attracts all sorts of visitors, from nearby office workers catching precious rays in their lunch hours to families and tourists on a day trip. The chilled atmosphere of the park is palpable and you really get the sense of being a million miles away from the London noise despite the location. It's also a bit of a bridge between Central London and North London – its southern edge borders Marylebone Rd, and to the north Primrose Hill is just across the road from the zoo, and the streets of Chalk Farm and Camden are just beyond.
