Regent Street

Regent Street runs through the heart of London’s West End, linking St James’s at its southern end with Regent’s Park to the north. Designed by John Nash under the Prince Regent’s direction, it replaced the old Swallow Street and opened in 1825 as one of England’s earliest planned thoroughfares. The street curves through Piccadilly Circus, past Oxford Circus, and ends near the BBC’s Broadcasting House, with Langham Place and Portland Place continuing the route. Its straight central section, the Quadrant, was built with a cast-iron colonnade to shelter shoppers from bad weather. Nash intended the street to rival Bond Street, banning common trades and insisting on high-quality businesses. James Burton, the developer, built most of the terraces and archways between 1817 and 1822, shaping the street’s elegant façades. By 1850 it had become Britain’s first shopping area to stay open late, keeping stores open until seven in the evening. Visitors find a grand shopping boulevard lined with flagship stores such as Liberty, Hamleys and the Apple Store. The Royal Polytechnic Institution, now part of the University of Westminster, has stood on the street since 1838. Nearby tube stations at Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus make it easy to reach, with several bus routes passing along its length. The curve of the Quadrant guides the eye northwards, while the archways and varied façades show Nash’s and Burton’s careful design.