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The Regent’s Park: Rose Gardens, Boating Lake & Zoo

Central LondonRoyal & Historic Parks

Rose gardens, family walks and open lawns

The Regent’s Park: Rose Gardens, Boating Lake & Zoo

I stepped out of my usual routine for a day and went for a walk around London, no rigid plan, just Regent’s Park first, then wherever it led. The weather was good, and the moment I walked in, the park had that quiet quality that makes you forget you’re still in the middle of the city.

The plan, such as it was: see some places, walk, and end up somewhere good for food. I hadn’t decided on Drummond Street when I set off, that came later, once the park part of the day was done.

LocationMarylebone / Camden
EntryFree
Managed byThe Royal Parks
On this visitSculpture trail, lake, Queen Elizabeth II Garden
Sport spottedCricket pitches
After the parkDrummond Street, Indian food

Getting My BearingsYou Are Here, Somewhere in the Middle of 410 Acres

Royal Parks information map board for The Regent's Park showing Primrose Hill, St John's Wood, Camden Town and a You Are Here marker
The park map board, useful for confirming just how much of Regent’s Park I hadn’t seen yet.

Regent’s Park is one of those places you can lose a lot of time in without noticing. Big open stretches, a lot of greenery, and plenty of people out walking, running, or just sitting. I liked the sports side of it especially, at one point I passed the cricket pitches, and if you’re there with a few friends it looks like a genuinely good way to spend a few hours.

An Unplanned FindA Trail of Carved Wooden Figures

Away from the main paths I came across a set of wood carvings I hadn’t expected, animals and figures cut straight from tree trunks and stumps, left standing in the open grass.

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Carved wooden sculpture of a large animal resembling a rhinoceros with a rider figure, carved from a tree trunk in Regent's Park
A large animal carved from a fallen trunk, rider and all.
Two wooden sculptures facing each other: a crouching child figure and a sitting fox, carved from tree stumps in a grassy clearing
A child and a fox, carved facing each other in a small clearing.
Wooden statue of a standing boy figure carved from a tree trunk among carved stumps in Regent's Park
A standing figure among a small group of carved stumps.
No sign explaining any of it. I never found a plaque naming the trail or the artist, just came across the figures one after another while cutting across a quieter section of grass, which made the whole thing feel more like a discovery than an attraction.

Down by the WaterCoffee, Chips, and a Board Full of Birds

Waterside Café green wooden building in Regent's Park with hot drinks, iced drinks and mains menu boards displayed on the wall
The Waterside Café, menus posted right on the green weatherboarding.

I stopped by the Waterside Café mostly to see what was on offer rather than to actually sit down, burgers, hot dogs, sundaes, iced matcha, the works. A little further along the lake path there was a different kind of board altogether.

Which Birds Can You Spot identification board beside the Regent's Park boating lake, with photos of different waterbird species
A bird-spotting board by the lake, with resting ducks parked right underneath it.

Between the two, it was a nice reminder that the lake side of the park runs on two tracks at once, people getting food and coffee, and a fair amount of genuine wildlife going about its business a few metres away.

Gates and GardensJubilee Ironwork and a Sign Telling the Dogs to Wait Outside

Ornate black and gold wrought iron Jubilee Gates at The Regent's Park with a royal cipher and 6 May crest above the entrance
One of the park’s ornate gates, black ironwork picked out in gold, with a royal cipher worked into the crest above.
Directional sign for Queen Mary's Gardens, Open Air Theatre, Café and Regent's University London, with a No Fires or BBQs notice beside it
Signage pointing towards Queen Mary’s Gardens and the Open Air Theatre, tall grasses growing up around it.
No Dogs sign beside a path leading into Queen Mary's Gardens, with rose beds in bloom on either side
A No Dogs sign at the entrance to Queen Mary’s Gardens, rose beds already in full colour behind it.

The gate alone was worth stopping for, that kind of ironwork isn’t something you see on an ordinary park entrance. Queen Mary’s Gardens just past it felt like a different, more formal park entirely, roses and all.

The New GardenWildflowers, a Pond, and a Tribute to the Queen

The newer part of the park surprised me the most. A winding path cut straight through a proper wildflower meadow, tall grass and white blooms leaning in on both sides.

Winding paved path through a wildflower meadow with tall grasses and white flowers in the Queen Elizabeth II Garden, Regent's Park
The path through the meadow section, wildflowers pressing in from both sides.
A Garden for the Future interpretation board describing sustainable design and wildlife habitats, with a butterfly photograph beside purple salvia flowers
“A Garden for the Future”, a board explaining the pond, water tower, meadow and hedgerow habitats built into the design.
Pond with lily pads and a wooden viewing deck in the Queen Elizabeth II Garden, with a decorative brick water tower in the background
The garden’s pond, lily pads scattered across the surface and a brick water tower standing behind it.
A Garden for a Queen interpretation board commemorating Queen Elizabeth II with a photograph and floral tributes including cherry blossom and magnolia
“A Garden for a Queen”, the board commemorating Queen Elizabeth II, with the flowers planted in tribute listed alongside her photograph.
Have Your Say visitor feedback sign beside a metal pergola walkway in the Queen Elizabeth II Garden, with a pond and purple flowers nearby
A “Have Your Say” sign asking for visitor feedback on the still-new garden.
Welcome to the Queen Elizabeth II Garden sign fixed to black railings listing park rules including no dogs, no cycling and no fires
The welcome sign at the garden’s railing, laying out the rules for everyone’s peaceful enjoyment.

It’s clearly a young garden still finding its feet, the planting hasn’t fully filled in yet, but the pond, the water tower and the meadow path already made it one of the more memorable stops of the walk.

Back to the Formal SideFountains, and Two Corners Still Under Wraps

Ornate stone fountain with water cascading from an urn-shaped basin into a circular pool, surrounded by clipped hedges
A smaller fountain tucked behind clipped hedges, water trickling steadily over a weathered stone urn.
Works Underway sign on hoarding around the Avenue Gardens Shelter restoration project in Regent's Park
Restoration works on the Avenue Gardens Shelter, boarded off for the summer.
Royal Parks branded barrier screening off restoration works on the historic Griffin Tazza fountain
Further along, the historic Griffin Tazza fountain was also screened off for restoration.
Avenue Gardens with a central tiered stone fountain flanked by tree-lined paths and clipped hedges in Regent's Park
The Avenue Gardens fountain, framed by the long tree-lined walk on either side.
Closer view of a stone fountain surrounded by railings and hedges in Avenue Gardens, Regent's Park
The same fountain from closer up, hedges curving around the railed edge.

Two corners of the formal gardens were mid-restoration on the day I visited, which was a fair reminder that a park this old is never really finished, something is always being repaired, replanted or rebuilt somewhere behind hoarding.

Where the day went next: from the park I carried on to Drummond Street, having heard it was packed with Indian food places. Restaurants like Chutneys, Taste of India and Ambala sit almost back to back. I ended up at Diwana Bhel Poori House, plain-looking from outside, but a genuinely nice atmosphere, and the aloo papri chaat and bhel puri were exactly the kind of flavours that make you want to order something else the moment you’ve finished. Spotting Punjabi samosas in the market afterwards sealed it as a good decision.

Looking BackA Day With No Real Plan, Which Worked Out Better Than One Would Have

The day turned out better than I’d expected going in. A walk through Regent’s Park, a wander down Drummond Street, and Indian food to finish, nothing about it was heavily organised, and that was probably exactly why it worked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Regent’s Park free to enter?

Yes. General entry is free; charges apply only to extras such as boating, London Zoo, and the Open Air Theatre.

What is the Queen Elizabeth II Garden?

A newer garden within Regent’s Park commemorating Queen Elizabeth II, featuring a meadow, pond, pergola and a water tower, with interpretation boards explaining both the wildlife habitats built into the design and the floral tributes chosen in her memory.

Is there a sculpture trail in Regent’s Park?

There’s a small cluster of carved wooden figures, animals and human figures cut from tree trunks and stumps, found away from the main paths, with no signage identifying the trail at the spot itself.

Can I bring my dog into Queen Mary’s Gardens?

No. Dogs are not permitted inside Queen Mary’s Gardens, as posted on signage at the entrance.

Research Method

This guide is based on a personal, solo visit to Regent’s Park on an unplanned day out around London. All photographs above are original and were taken on site, including the wooden sculpture trail, the Waterside Café, the bird-spotting board, the Jubilee Gates, Queen Mary’s Gardens signage, the Queen Elizabeth II Garden’s interpretation boards and pond, and the Avenue Gardens fountains and restoration hoarding. Facilities and any restoration works reflect what was in place at the time of the visit; check current notices with The Royal Parks before travelling.

Official & Useful Sources

The Royal Parks, The Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill
Used to verify current park management and general information.
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/regents-park-primrose-hill

The Royal Parks, Queen Elizabeth II Garden
Used to verify the new garden’s design and features.
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/regents-park-primrose-hill/queen-elizabeth-ii-garden

On-site interpretation read during the visit
The “Which Birds Can You Spot?” board, the “A Garden for the Future” and “A Garden for a Queen” panels, and the Queen Mary’s Gardens and Queen Elizabeth II Garden entrance signage.

Last checked: 1 September 2026

Author

Steve, publisher of Ekskluzivet Park
Steve

Steve visits every park featured on Ekskluzivet Park in person, checking practical details against councils, park operators and official sources. Every guide is based on a personal visit, and the photographs published with it are his own.

About Steve
Before you travel

Opening times, prices, parking and facilities can change. Check the official source before setting out.