Home - Friends of Regent's Park & Primrose Hill

Photos on this page are © Wei Huang, Michael Sheehan, Suzy Flood, Eugene Regis, Carsten Madsen, LanaG, Edward Kellow, Mark Elliott and Mike Baker

Welcome to The Friends of Regent's Park & Primrose Hill

The organisation for people who use and care about the Park

Why I like being a Friend

Mark E

Being a Friend
keeps me in touch
with my favourite Park

Richard P

The Friends helps
preserve the Park
for future generations

Adrian J

The quarterly newsletter
is always full of
interesting information

Mike B

The discounts available
provide great value
for my annual fee

Jennie P

The e-mail updates
give me current news
about the Park

Ann K

I feel I’m doing my bit
to preserve the
character of the Park

Edward K

I have made good
friends by attending
Friends events

Ivan M

I can e-mail questions
about the Park and
get useful replies

Sarah S

I enjoyed acting as a
site supervisor at the
bandstand concerts

Gillian Y

I look forward to
volunteering on Friends
projects in the Park

Anne-Marie C

I enjoy learning about
history of the Park and
its many associations

Simon C

The Friends lobby
to keep the Park
in tiptop shape

Jonathon H

The Friends really
care about the Park,
and that’s important

Mary M

The Friends fund
important projects that
wouldn’t happen otherwise

Josie B

I feel I’m doing my bit
to keep the Park
at its best

Alison K

I’m a local resident and
I value what the Friends
do for the environment

Zoe D

The Friends are a
useful channel for voicing
people’s concerns

Siobhan T

The Friends are an
important voice speaking
up for the Park

Peter D

It’s my way of contributing
personally to the
upkeep of the Park

Emily B

I value the Park, and
the Friends are vigilant in
looking after its interests

Did You Know?

The Hub in Regent's Park
is the busiest outdoor
sports centre in the UK

London Zoo opened in
1828 and was the first ever
scientific zoo in the world

There are 30,000 roses
in the Park
of 400 varieties

There are 170,000 trees in
the Royal Parks and about
6,000 in Regent’s Park
& Primrose Hill

The Royal Parks has a database of the location and type
of all 170,000 trees
in its 8 parks

In Regent’s Park there are over
100 varieties of birds including
Green woodpeckers, tawny owl
and Reed warbler

In J. K. Rowling's first novel
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone, Harry goes
to the London Zoo for his
cousin's birthday

Regent’s Park is one of the
few parks with herons and
is home to over 20
nesting pairs

Regent’s Park is home to
21 butterfly species
and more than 230
species of moths

There is an old forge
off the inner circle
of Regent’s Park

The Open Air Theatre in
Regent’s Park was founded in 1932 and
has 1240 seats

In October 1678, Primrose
Hill was the scene of the
mysterious murder of
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey

Ian Fleming's James Bond
novels frequently mentions
that the headquarters of MI6
is a "tall, grey building
near Regent's Park”

The memorial at the top of
Primrose Hill was dedicated
to radical Unitarian poet Iolo
Morganwg (Edward Williams)
who founded the Gorsedd, a
community of Welsh bards

The defunct Primrose Hill
railway station sits on the
railway lines that separate the
Primrose Hill area from
Camden Town

In World War 2 there were
3 anti-aircraft guns on
Primrose Hill that locals
called “Primrose”

There are seven English
Heritage blue plaques
in Primrose Hill
commemorating the historic
personalities that have
lived there

In Agatha Christie's "The
Adventure of the Italian
Nobleman", Hercule Poirot
travels to Regent's Park to
investigate a murder

A glass house in Queen
Mary’s Gardens could hold
2000 people and was
demolished in 1932

Regent’s Park is Grade I
(highest) listed on the Register
of Historic Parks and Gardens

In the Middle Ages the land
of Regent’s Park was part of
Tyburn manor – a plaque at
the top of Marylebone high
street marks the site
of the manor

In 1867 the ice cover
on the boating lake collapsed and 40 people died

In Regent’s Park there are
3 children’s playgrounds and
one in Primrose Hill

In Regent’s Park there are
5 cafés/restaurants and
one in Primrose Hill

In Ruth Rendell's crime
novel, The Keys to the Street
several murders take place
in Regent's Park

After the 1530 Dissolution
of the Monasteries Henry VIII appropriated the Park
and made it a hunting and
forestry park

A Family-friendly Park

Regent’s Park is great for
families. It’s a large, diverse
space with tons to
see and do

There are four great
playgrounds, including the
newly refurbished one at
Gloucester Gate

There are so many lovely
corners to stretch out a
blanket and enjoy an
open air picnic

Is there ice cream?
Of course there is, near
the bandstand and at
the six cafés

There are always
children-friendly shows in the
summer programme at the
Open Air Theatre

There are 6 different cafés
to hang out at, each with its
own seating, child-friendly
menus and toilets

Climb Primrose Hill
and roll down. Or see how
many famous buildings you
can spot from the top

There are bandstand concerts
every Sunday and
Bank Holiday Monday
in the summer

Kick or throw balls around
on Marylebone, Cumberland
and Gloucester Greens

Cycle down the gentle
slopes of the Broadwalk,
from Chester Road to
the Outer Circle

Take a canal barge on the
Regent’s Canal from
Little Venice to Camden
Market or vice versa

Bring your dog.
Or borrow someone else’s.
But be sure to follow signs
showing where dogs
cannot go

There are dozens of colourful
ducks, herons and swans
to admire at the Wildlife
and Waterfowl centre

Why not cast off on
a pedalo or rowing boat
at the boating lake?
(needs an adult onboard)

Book a tennis court
or mini tennis court at
Will to Win

Become a Member

Join the network of people who care about Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill

The Friends bring together people
who care about the park

Together we can help create a park that everyone can enjoy to the full

The Friends get your voice heard on
matters you care about

Join us now