Regent’s Park and Marylebone
In May 2023 we spent a few days in London. As with our previous visit, in November 2022, it was a mixture of John working, meetings with friends, and family events, specifically John’s sister’s Silver Wedding party and an inspection of my niece’s new flat. This time, however, we had much better weather! It was a heat-wave.
I ended up with one day on my own in London and chose to explore Regent’s Park and Marylebone. On my way to the Park from our hotel near Euston I passed two interesting statues at SOAS and UCL, both University of London sites. I liked the quotes on each plaque.
Regent’s Park was originally part of Henry VIII’s hunting grounds, but began to take its current shape in 1811 when the Prince Regent, later George IV, appointed John Nash as his architect. I admired some of Nash’s beautiful terraces as well as the former Holy Trinity Church, built in 1828 and designed by John Soane, which is now a Wedding Gallery and events space.
Then I had a walk round the park itself, and enjoyed lunch by the Boating Lake.
After lunch, I left the Park and crossed Marylebone Road to visit St Marylebone Parish Church.
I found it full of interesting features, such as this window on the stairs with its inscription commemorating those whose stories have not been told.
Downstairs, this theme continued with a lightbox installation called St Marylebone’s Changing Faces, people who had contributed to the area, both famous and unknown. I had only heard of five, how about you?
As I turned down Marylebone High Street after visiting the church I stopped in the Memorial Garden. Amongst others buried here is Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
My father was a Methodist minister, and I had already noticed Methodist Church House on Marylebone Road (now vacated, but a place with which I have had many dealings).
As I came out of the Memorial Garden the vicar from the Parish Church caught up with me – he had noticed me photographing the light box installation and we discussed that, the reasons for my interest in Methodist memorials, and his own service in Scotland. He pointed out that I would soon pass Hinde Street Methodist Church, an 1880s replacement for an earlier chapel attended by some of Charles Wesley’s family. He also observed tartly that I would not be able to go in because, unlike his church, it was kept locked – and so it proved. It’s the second church below, the other is St James’s RC Church.
The only other photographs I took on Marylebone High Street were the elegant lady above Fischer’s Café and the glorious interior of Daunt Books. (Yes, I bought two, since you ask.)
I headed back to my hotel, but there was still quite a bit of afternoon left. I knew if I went in I would just slob about till John got back, so I kept walking and ended up in Coal Drops Yard, but that’s a tale for another day.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Also, as a Certified American Anglophile, I love both Regents Park and Marleybone. You have done them justice. And the bookstore is my fave. The canvas bag they give you with the purchase is worth about £20, and is so sturdy and useful. We are on a trip to Gumbo Cove in Mississippi right now where we attended Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and I have my canvas bag from Daunt bookstore in London with me. I couldn’t decide which shoes to bring for Jazz Fest, so just brought six pairs crammed into that bag, L O L!
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I did not get a bag! Maybe I didn’t spend enough. It must be capacious if you can fit six pairs of shoes into it!
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This is an exquisite post, Annabelle. The learnings and the history you shared are awesome, and I particularly love your observation in this sentence. “He also observed tartly that I would not be able to go in because, unlike his church, it was kept locked – and so it proved.” I grew up Methodist with parents who were very involved in the church and didn’t realize that your father was a Methodist minister. Another thing we have in common! Also, I think you’ve said before that usually your husband takes the pictures, but you must’ve taken these since you were on your own, and they are awesome!
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Thank you Kim! Yes, I am a daughter of the manse, but totally lapsed. Yes, I took the pictures, just on my phone. John has a good camera so his are generally much better.
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The book shop is really nice.
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Can’t resist a bookshop!
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I really must have another ‘holiday’ in the Big Smoke! So much to see. I did have a wander around Regent’s Park – possibly the Queen Mary’s Garden – back in 2007 when I went for an interview nearby. That’s a long time ago! You do find some interesting things on your walks.
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I had never been before, it’s a lovely park. And those terraces are so impressive!
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this looks like such a nice time to just walk and enjoy the scenery and love what you took. I only knew 2 of the people in that stained glass group. I so want to go to that book store. I miss a good book store
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Thanks Birgit, it was a lovely – if tiring – walk.
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Great afternoon exploring Anabel, I haven’t been to Regents Park for years, maybe we will do that when we are in the UK soon. The old churches you visited look interesting too. We did explore Coal Drops Yard a few years ago.
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I hadn’t been to Coal Drops Yard before, though I had read about it. Impressive! In the days when I used to get the train to Kings Cross you did not want to stray far from the station.
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so true of many places in London before they all became upmarket!
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I know what you mean! Kings Cross has changed a lot since I used to go oop north!
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That’s nice to have a memorial to the forgotten, exploited people. There’s been a lot of that going on over the centuries and millennia. I think many of us humans are more enlightened now (though there are still too many troglodytes).
Is it even possible to walk into a bookstore and walk out again without a purchase?
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Yes, there are quite a lot of efforts going on to recognise past wrongs, eg in Glasgow how much of the city’s wealth was built on the slave trade. But sadly there’s always a backlash about “wokery” or rewriting history etc.
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I don’t care for the backlash, but also recognize that sometimes we can get a little over-apologetic for our ancestors.
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