Regent Street
George, Prince Regent of the United Kingdom | |
Maintained by | Transport for London |
---|---|
Length | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) |
Location | London, United Kingdom |
Nearest tube station | |
Coordinates | 51°30′39″N 0°08′19″W / 51.5108°N 0.1387°W |
Construction | |
Other | |
Designer | John Nash, James Burton |
Known for | |
Website | www |
Regent Street is a major shopping street in the
The street's layout was completed in 1825 and was an early example of
Route
Regent Street is approximately 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long and begins at a junction with
The southern section of the road is one-way northbound and part of the A4, a major road through West London. From Piccadilly Circus northwards, it is numbered A4201, though in common with roads inside the London congestion charging zone, the number does not appear on signs.[4]
Nearby tube stations are Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus;[4] the lattermost being one of the busiest underground stations in London,[5] and is where three main lines (Central, Bakerloo and Victoria) meet.[6] Several bus routes, such as 6, 12, and 13, run along Regent Street.[7]
History
Beginnings: 1811–1825
Regent Street was one of the first planned developments of London. An ordered structure of London streets, replacing the mediaeval layout, had been planned since just after the Great Fire of London (1666) when Sir Christopher Wren and John Evelyn drew plans for rebuilding the city on the classical formal model. After a lack of progress, houses were rebuilt on the old street network anyway.[8]
In 1766,
The street was designed by John Nash (who had been appointed to the Office of Woods and Forests in 1806 and previously served as an adviser to the Prince Regent) and by developer James Burton.[10] Nash proposed his own plans for the street in 1810 following the death of Fordyce,[9] envisioning broad, architecturally distinguished thoroughfares and public spaces, and [11] planned to construct a straight boulevard as seen in French cities, but this was not possible because of land ownership issues.[12] Nash's final design resulted in a road situated further west than on previous plans, and Nash believed the road would run down a de facto line separating the upper classes and nobility in Mayfair with the working class in Soho.[9]
The construction of the northern section of the New Street involved demolishing most of the existing Swallow Street, which had become run down and was an ideal candidate for regeneration.[13] The road was designed to curve east between Oxford Street and Piccadilly so that it did not meet St James's Square, and the circuses allowed visual continuity down the street.[9] The central section, known as the Quadrant, was designed for "shops appropriated to articles of fashion and taste," and was Nash's centrepiece for the street. It was built with a colonnade of cast-iron columns, allowing commuters to walk along the street without having to face bad weather. The buildings along the Quadrant had different facades, a deliberate choice by Nash to break away from the uniform design of the previous century and a pragmatic means of using what building materials were available and what clients wanted.[14] The road was planned to end outside Carlton House in Pall Mall, the residence of the Prince of Wales.[12] Nash insisted that businesses on the street would be of high-quality to rival nearby Bond Street; common trades such as butchers or greengrocers were not allowed.[15]
The design was adopted by an Act of Parliament in 1813, which permitted the commissioners to borrow £600,000 for building and construction. The street was intended for commercial purposes and it was expected that most of the income would come from private capital. Nash took responsibility for design and valuation of all properties.[9] Construction of the road required demolishing numerous properties, disrupting trade and polluting the air with dust.[16] Existing tenants had first offer to purchase leases on the new properties.[14] The Treasury supported the proposal because, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, there was an urgent need for the government to create jobs. Government expenditure was low because the design relied heavily on private developers, such as Nash himself.[17] The buildings were let on 99-year leases, as was common at the time, and income could be recouped in the form of ground rent.[18]
James Burton
Other architects
The vast majority of the street was designed by Nash or Burton.
Rebuilding: 1895–1927
During the 19th century, Regent Street became established as the "centre of fashion." Shops expanded into multiple properties, selling imported and exotic products to appeal to niche consumers.[14] By the end of the century, fashions had changed and the original buildings were small and old fashioned, restricting trade.[26] The colonnade constructed by Nash was demolished in the mid-19th century for fear it might attract "doubtful characters."[23] Other buildings were not up to modern building standards; some had been extended and were structurally suspect.[12] As the 99-year leases came to an end, Regent Street was redeveloped between 1895 and 1927 under the control of the Office of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues (now known as the Crown Estate).[1][27]
The modern Regent Street is the result of this redevelopment. No original structures survive except south of Oxford Circus for some Nash-designed sewers.[25] The current design is an example of the Beaux Arts approach to urban design: an assembly of separate buildings on a grand scale, designed to harmonise and produce an impressive overall effect.[28] Strict rules governed the reconstruction.[26] Each block had to be designed with a continuous unifying street façade and finished in Portland stone.[28] The first redevelopment was Regent House, just south of Oxford Circus. The stylistic tone for the rebuilding was set by Sir Reginald Blomfield's Quadrant.[27]
The architect
The Work was delayed by
Meanwhile, the Bakerloo line of the London Underground was built running under the street for part of its course from 1902 until 1906, when it was opened on 10 March that year.[34] The line's entrance at Oxford Circus tube station, near Argyll Street, was designed by Leslie W. Green using glazed terracotta as a facing material.[35]
Crown Estate redevelopment
By the 1970s, Regent Street had started to decline because of under-investment and competition from neighbouring areas such as Oxford Street or shopping centres away from Central London. In 2002, the
The largest part of the plan was the reconstruction of the Quadrant close to Piccadilly Circus, which was completed in 2011. It offers 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of office space spanning over seven floors. Two Art Deco-designed restaurants have also been restored, and the development includes a small number of apartments.[38] The Crown Estate moved its own headquarters from Carlton House Terrace to Regent Street in 2006.[39]
Properties
Retail
The
The
The toy store Hamleys is at No. 188 Regent Street, just south of Oxford Circus. It was founded as Noah's Ark at No. 231 High Holborn in 1760.[43] An additional branch opened at Nos. 64–66 Regent Street in 1881, while the original High Holborn building burned down in 1901, moving to Nos. 86–87. The store was frequently the first to market the latest games and toys, and became a strong seller of table tennis equipment in the late 19th century, allowing the sport to become popular. The business moved to Nos. 200–202,[44] and moved to the current address in 1981. It claims to be the largest toy shop in the world.[45]
The main London branch of the clothing store
The Apple Store opened on Regent Street on 20 November 2004. At the time, this was the first such store in Europe,[47] with the others being in the United States and Japan. It was the largest Apple store worldwide until the opening of an even larger store in Covent Garden in August 2010.[48] The building that houses the store is a
Austin Reed's flagship store was at Nos. 103–113 Regent Street for more than 85 years, having moved there in 1911.[50] It had an atrium at its centre, housing glass lifts allowing viewing across all floors. The lower ground floor sold womenswear and also housed Austin's, the refurbished Art Deco Barber Shop.[51] In May 2011, the British fashion retailer Superdry announced it would move into the building, paying £12m for the lease. In return, Austin Reed moved to the former Aquascutum shop on the other side of the road.[52] In 2016, Austin Reed filed for administration, ending over 100 years' presence on Regent Street.[53]
Hedges and Butler, wine and spirits merchant established in 1667, moved into 153 Regent Street in 1819 and stayed there for a little under 200 years.[56] Since 2014 the premises have been occupied by Watches of Switzerland.[57]
Broadcasting
Immediately north of Regent Street is the
Broadcasting House was first used by the BBC on 2 May 1932, and total construction costs were £350,000. It was too small for all services, and St George's Hall, next to All Souls, was used for variety broadcasts until it was demolished during
The
Education
The
The university houses the Regent Street Cinema which acted as a platform for major scientists, artists and authors such as Charles Dickens,[66] John Henry Pepper,[67] and The Lumière Brothers (Auguste and Louis Lumière) where public and private screenings of Cinématographe were shown to an audience.[68] The cinema was restored and reopened to the public in May 2015.[69]
Other
All Souls Church is at the top of Regent Street next to Broadcasting House. It was built in 1823 out of Bath stone and consecrated in 1824, and is the only surviving building in Regent Street that was designed by John Nash.[25][70]
The Café Royal, located at 68 Regent Street in the Quadrant, was opened in 1865 by Daniel Nicols and became an institution of London high society. In 1895 Oscar Wilde argued with Frank Harris in the café about his proposal to sue the Marquess of Queensberry for libel over Wilde's alleged homosexuality. Wilde went ahead with the trial, which ultimately led to his own arrest and imprisonment. The present building, by Sir Reginald Blomfield, dates from 1928 and is Grade II listed. It was closed in 2008 and the building which houses the café was bought by a subsidiary of Alrov Group,[71] as a part of Crown Estate's plans to redevelop this part of Regent Street.[72]
Veeraswamy, London's oldest extant Indian restaurant, has been at 99-101 Regent Street since 1926.[73]
Events
Regent Street is home to several events throughout the year.[74] The Regent Street Festival happens annually, and during this time, the street is closed to traffic.[75] In September, there is a series of fashion-related events, dubbed as Fashion and Design Month (FDM), which has been running since 2015.[76][77] In an interview with David Shaw, the head of the Regent Street Portfolio, he said that for FDM 2016, they worked with many "talented individuals across a variety of events, combining creative talent with our established stores."[76]
There have been
On 6 July 2004, half a million people crowded into Regent Street and the surrounding streets to watch a parade of Formula One cars.[80] In 2016, the sport's chief manager, Bernie Ecclestone, speculated that a London Grand Prix may potentially happen in the future, including Regent Street as a part of the circuit.[81]
Cultural references
The character Lord Frederick Verisopht in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby lived in an apartment in Regent Street. This reflected the nature of the street in the mid-19th century when it was still a fashionable residence for the upper class.[82]
In August 1839, the first British commercial production of daguerreotype photographs were carried out in a property on Regent Street, shortly after the process had been publicly documented.[13]
Regent Street is a location on the British version of Monopoly as a group of three green squares with Oxford Street and Bond Street. The three properties are grouped together as they are all known for their retail and commercial backgrounds.[83]
The Langham Hotel on Regent Street is mentioned in several of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, including "The Sign of Four", "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax".[84] In The Hound of the Baskervilles (chapter 4), Holmes and Watson attempt to follow Stapleton down Regent Street.[85]
Offshoot crescent road Heddon Street was the location for the cover photography for 1972 David Bowie album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. A blue plaque has been placed to mark the spot where Bowie posed for the front cover. [86]
See also
- List of eponymous roads in London
- New Regent Street in Christchurch, New Zealand
References
Notes
- ^ The section between Waterloo Place and Piccadilly Circus; colloquially known as "'Lower Regent Street" was officially renamed to "Regent Street St James" 2014.[2]
- ^ This photograph has a wide field of view. In reality, the curvature is not as extreme.
Citations
- ^ a b "Regent Street". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ City Management and Communities results of Traffic Order Consultation – Ref: 7053 Regent Street St James's Renaming A Length of Regent Street (PDF) (Report). London Borough of Westminster Council. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ Timbs 1867, p. 710.
- ^ a b c "Regent Street". Google Maps. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Standard Tube Map" (PDF). Transport for London. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Central London Bus Map" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 341.
- ^ a b c d e Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 685.
- ^ Williams 1990, p. 136.
- ^ Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2013, p. 23.
- ^ a b c d Westminster, p. 6.
- ^ a b Walford, Edward (1878). Regent Street and Piccadilly. Vol. 4. London. pp. 246–262. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 686.
- ^ Weightman et al. 2007, p. 23.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, pp. 685–6.
- ^ Hobhouse 2008, p. 7.
- ^ Hobhouse 2008, p. 194.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Arnold, Dana (2005). Rural Urbanism: London Landscapes in the Early 19th Century. Manchester University Press. pp. 87–88.
- ^ a b c "James Burton [Haliburton], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography".
- ^ Williams 1990, pp. 29, 41.
- ^ Williams 1990, p. 54.
- ^ a b Moore 2003, p. 254.
- ^ Williams 1990, pp. 135–157.
- ^ a b c d Moore 2003, p. 255.
- ^ a b c d Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 687.
- ^ a b c The rebuilding of Piccadilly Circus and the Regent Street Quadrant. Vol. 31–32. pp. 85–100. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ a b Westminster, p. 7.
- ^ a b Weightman et al. 2007, p. 110.
- ISBN 978-1-409-43971-4.
- ISBN 978-0-750-68337-1.
- ^ Westminster, p. 26.
- Londonist. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Green 1987, p. 30.
- ^ Hobhouse 2008, p. 111.
- ^ a b Ruddick, Graham (25 April 2013). "Regent Street's revival gives hope to high streets everywhere". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Norway's $815 bln oil fund buys into London property". Reuters. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ "Conversion of Regent Palace Hotel into £300m retail development completed". The Guardian. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "HRH opens the environmentally friendly headquarters of the Crown Estate in London". HM Government. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ a b Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 236.
- ^ Hamilton, Alan (17 June 2005). "'Stuffy' retail giant shuts as owner cuts its cloth". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ a b Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 483.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 371.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 372.
- ^ "The history of Hamleys – London's famous toy shop". BBC News. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 440.
- ^ "Apple to Open First Retail Store in Europe on London's Regent Street on Saturday November 20th". Apple News. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "World's biggest Apple store opens in Covent Garden". BBC News. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Apple Regent Street – Foster + Partners". archdaily.com. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 684.
- ^ Oulton & Paterson 2000, p. 58.
- ^ "Superdry in £12m Austin Reed deal". The Daily Telegraph. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Austin Reed files notice for administration". The Daily Telegraph. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "About us". Aquascutum. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ Holland, Tiffany. "Aquascutum seeking London flagship". Retail Week. William Reed Ltd. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ a b Weinreb, Ben; Hibbert, Christopher (1983). The London Encyclopaedia (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan. p. 874.
- ^ "GREATEST SHOWROOMS: Watches of Switzerland, London, UK". WatchPro. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 100.
- ^ Conlan, Tara; Plunkett, John (1 April 2013). "BBC Television Centre to be redeveloped as a 'digital experience'". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "The new BBC Broadcasting House: So what does £1bn buy?". The Guardian. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "BBC to name wing of new Broadcasting House after John Peel". BBC Media Centre. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "BBC Heritage Trail Buildings". History of the BBC. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "175 years – About us – University of Westminster, London". Westminster.ac.uk. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 732.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 652.
- ^ "'The Goblin Court', Royal Polytechnic Institution lantern slide". Science Museum Group Collection. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ Information, Reed Business (1 September 1977). New Scientist. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
{{cite book}}
:|first1=
has generic name (help) - ^ Hibbert et al. 2010, p. 960.
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (6 May 2015). "Remaking a classic: Regent Street Cinema to reopen doors after 35 years". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ Summerson 1962, p. 220.
- ^ "Cafe Royal sale". Daily Telegraph. 14 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ McSmith, Andy (23 December 2008). "Last orders at the Café Royal". The Independent. London.
- ^ "History". Veeraswamy. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "Events – Regent Street London". Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Regent Street Festival". Time Out. 26 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ a b Marfil, Lorelei (1 September 2016). "London's Regent Street Hosts Series of Fashion Events in September". Women's Wear Daily. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- Eventmagazine.co.uk. Haymarket Media Group. Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "London Christmas Lights – Regent Street". The Met Office. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Curtis, Sophie (14 November 2015). "Largest ever Christmas light installation brings Regent Street heritage to life". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 July 2004. Archivedfrom the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ Noble, Jonathan (10 May 2016). "Why latest London Grand Prix talk is nonsense". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-446-35479-7.
- ^ Moore 2003, p. 241.
- ^ "A not-so-elementary guide to Sherlock Holmes' London". Los Angeles Times. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "Discover Sherlock Holmes's London – from 221B Baker Street to the bar where it all began". Radio Times. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album marked with blue plaque". the Guardian. 27 March 2012.
Sources
- Green, Oliver (1987). The London Underground: An Illustrated History. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1720-4.
- ISBN 978-1-405-04924-5.
- Hobhouse, Hermione (2008). A History of Regent Street: A Mile of Style. Phillimore. ISBN 978-1-860-77248-1.
- Moore, Tim (2003). Do Not Pass Go. Vintage. ISBN 978-0-099-43386-6.
- Oulton, Jenny; Paterson, David (2000). "Opening-Time In The West End". London Dawn to Dusk: Celebration of a City. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 1-85974-517-2.
- Stern, Robert A.M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2013). Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City. The Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1580933261.
- Summerson, John (1962). Georgian London (Revised ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
- OCLC 12878129.
- Weightman, Gavin; Humphries, Steve; Mack, Joanna; Taylor, John (2007). The Making of Modern London. Random House. ISBN 978-0-091-92004-3.
- Williams, Guy (1990). Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel. London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-304-31561-3.
- City of Westminster Conservation Area Directory No.12 (PDF) (Report). Westminster City Council. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Further reading
- Herbert Fry (1880), "Regent Street", London in 1880, London: David Bogue, LCCN no2010-14702. (bird's eye view)
- The Architecture of Regent Street, The Crown Estate, London, 2005.
- Westminster, James (1963), F H W Sheppard (ed.), Survey of London: Volumes 31 and 32, St James Westminster, Part 2