Description
A small landscaped area planted with trees forms a common frontage to Cumberland Place facing the Outer Circle, enclosed by stone balustrades and plain wrought-iron geometrical railings on a low wall. The block of 4 houses, giving the impression of being one large house, were built as part of Nash's 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. Cumberland Place was named after George III's son Ernest, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland.
Practical Information
| Site location | Outer Circle, Regent's Park |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW1 |
| What3Words | ///heavy.buddy.cooks |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, visible from road |
| 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 May 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Cumberland Place consists of four houses giving the impression of being one large house, which was built in 1826 by John Nash and possibly James Thomson as executant architect. A small landscaped area forms a common frontage facing the Outer Circle planted with trees. It is enclosed by stone balustrades and plain wrought-iron geometrical railings on a low wall. 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.
Cumberland Place was named after George III's son Ernest, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland.
Cumberland Place was named after George III's son Ernest, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ287829 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | The Crown Estate |
| Site Management | Crown Estate Paving Commission (in part) |
| Dates | 1826 |
| Designers | John Nash / James Thomson |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Nos.1-4 Cumberland Place (consecutive) and attached balustrades & railings; LBII: 2 1830s 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 | No |
| 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 |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Chester Place 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 Place is named after the Prince Regent who was also Earl of Chester.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Although the majority of Regent's Park is in Westminster, a small part is in LB Camden, being the strip to the east of the Broad Walk, which forms the borough boundary. South of Chester Road this wide path passes through a formal Italian Garden, with an informal English Garden to the east, both dating from 1861-64 and restored since 1996. The Regent's Park was laid out between 1812-30 to designs of John Nash as a fashionable estate of fine villas and terraces set in a private landscaped park. Named for the Prince Regent, the land had been part of the Crown Estate since 1539. While details of Nash's plan were much modified, the overall conception was, and remains, his own. Although some areas remain in separate use and ownership, part of the park had been opened to the public in 1835 and today the majority of the park is accessible. During WWI part of the park including the strip to the east was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for a military camp and drill ground, restored to public use after the war. See Westminster entry for the majority of the park's features.
Although the majority of Regent's Park is in Westminster, a small part is in LB Camden, being the strip to the east of the Broad Walk, which forms the borough boundary. South of Chester Road this wide path passes through a formal Italian Garden, with an informal English Garden to the east, both dating from 1861-64 and restored since 1996. The Regent's Park was laid out between 1812-30 to designs of John Nash as a fashionable estate of fine villas and terraces set in a private landscaped park. Named for the Prince Regent, the land had been part of the Crown Estate since 1539. While details of Nash's plan were much modified, the overall conception was, and remains, his own. Although some areas remain in separate use and ownership, part of the park had been opened to the public in 1835 and today the majority of the park is accessible. During WWI part of the park including the strip to the east was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for a military camp and drill ground, restored to public use after the war. See Westminster entry for the majority of the park's features.
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.
