Description
This long narrow garden enclosure laid out as a shrubbery provided a common frontage to the 12 large houses of Cambridge Terrace facing Regent's Park. The Terrace was designed by John Nash as part of his plan of 1811 to develop the Crown Estate lands as a fashionable residential area, with the backing of the Prince Regent, later George IV. Authorisation had been given in 1794 for developing the land, once part of Henry VIII's hunting park but by then leased mainly as farmland, which was due to revert to the Crown in 1811. Cambridge Terrace was named after George III's son Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge.
Practical Information
| Site location | Outer Circle, Regent's Park |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW1 4JL |
| What3Words | ///shovels.crown.sport |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube(Northern/Victoria):Euston.Tube:Camden Town (Northern), Great Portland St, Euston Sq (Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Circle), Regent's Park (Bakerloo) |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
A long narrow garden enclosure laid out as a shrubbery forms a common frontage to the 12 houses of Cambridge Terrace that face Regent's Park (q.v.). The Terrace was designed by John Nash c.1825 as part of his plan of 1811 to develop the Crown Estate lands here as a fashionable residential area. Previously known as Marylebone Park it formed part of the royal hunting chase appropriated by Henry VIII in 1538 and remained so until 1646, and later used as farmland. At the end of the Civil War it had been sold by Cromwell to John Spencer but reverted to the Crown at the Restoration and was subsequently leased to various noblemen, finally the Duke of Portland, whose lease was due to revert to the Crown in 1811. John Fordyce, appointed Surveyor General of His Majesty's Land Revenue in 1794 was authorised to produce a plan for the area of Marylebone Park and various architects competed for the tender. On Fordyce's death the offices of Land Revenue were combined with those of Woods and Forests and the architects of the two departments were asked to produce plans. John Nash (1752-1835), who was official architect to the Commission of Woods and Forest and a friend of the Prince Regent, designed the layout of the park as it is today as part of his grand plan for London that was approved by the Treasury in October 1811. His plan had an avenue stretching from Marylebone via Portland Place and Regent Street to Carlton House Terrace and Gardens (q.v.), and included the 400-acre park was to be surrounded by palatial terraces and villas.
Cambridge Terrace was named after George III's son Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge. The upper part of the north end of Cambridge Terrace was damaged in WWII but was later reconstructed after the original design in the 1980s. The houses now provide offices and flats.
Cambridge Terrace was named after George III's son Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge. The upper part of the north end of Cambridge Terrace was damaged in WWII but was later reconstructed after the original design in the 1980s. The houses now provide offices and flats.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ287825 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | The Crown Estate |
| Site Management | Crown Estate Paving Commission |
| Dates | 1825-8 |
| Designers | John Nash |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Nos. 1-10 Cambridge Terrace and attached railings. LBII: forecourt garden railings, 4 bollards, 2 lamp posts |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Regent's Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Central London Area |
| Other LA Designation | Private Open Space. Area of Special Character: Central London Area |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
This long narrow garden enclosure, laid out as a lawn with trees, forms a common frontage to Cambridge Gate built in 1875/77. The terrace was not part of John Nash's designs of 1811 for developing the Crown lands as Regent's Park but was built on the site of The Colosseum, which opened in 1830 providing a huge panorama of London as its main attraction, but later demolished in 1875. The garden has a retaining wall and at each end are terracotta statuary groups depicting 'The Three Graces'. Cambridge Gate is so-named after George III's son Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge.
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518; the present college dates from 1964, extended in 1996. Although there are some remnants from 1960s planting, the medicinal garden has been extensively replanted since 2005. It contains over 1000 different plants, arranged as a series of areas, including beds of medicinal plants from various cultures, plants with known medical value and those connected with physicians through the ages. There are mature London plane trees at the front, a sheltered south-facing lawn and beds to the rear. Eight gardens along St Andrews Place were planted in 2006/7 with box parterres containing plants from the 'Pharmacopeia Londinensis' published by the Royal College of Physicians in 1618.
This long narrow enclosure was laid out as an ornamental garden for the use of residents of Chester Terrace and provides a common frontage to the longest unbroken façade overlooking Regent's Park. The Terrace was designed by John Nash as part of his plan of 1811 to develop the Crown Estate lands as a fashionable residential area, with the backing of the Prince Regent, later George IV. Authorisation had been given in 1794 for developing the land, once part of Henry VIII's hunting park but by then leased mainly as farmland, which was due to revert to the Crown in 1811. Chester Terrace is named after the Prince Regent who was also Earl of Chester.
