Page 233 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

REGENT ’ S P ARK AND M AR Y LEBONE  231

blew up in the cutting by
London Zoo, killing the crew,
destroying a bridge, and
terrifying the populace and the
animals. After an initial period of
prosperity for the canal,
increasing competition from
new railways saw it gradually
slip into decline.
Today it has been revived as a
leisure amenity; the towpath is
a pleasant walkway and boat trips London Zoo’s aviary, designed by
run between Little Venice and Lord Snowdon (1964)
A boat trip on Regent’s Canal Camden Lock, with its huge crafts
market. Visitors to the zoo can use spider monkeys; a humid
e Regent’s Canal the landing stage in the grounds. rainforest enclosure with sloths
and anteaters; a lemur walk­
NW1 & NW8. Map 3 C1. Tel 020 7482
2660 (waterbus). 1 Camden Town, r London Zoo through area; and an expanded
St John’s Wood, Warwick Ave. Canal home for the lions. Look out for
towpaths: Open dawn–dusk daily. Regent’s Park NW1. Map 4 D2. feeding times for the day.
See Six Guided Walks pp270–71. Tel 0344 225 1826. 1 Camden Town.
∑ londonwaterbus.com Open Apr–Aug: 10am–6pm; Sep– t Cumberland
Oct: 10am–5:30pm; Nov–Mar: 10am–
John Nash was extremely enthu­ 4pm (last adm: 1 hr before closing). Terrace
siastic about this waterway, Closed 25 Dec. 7 - = & NW1. Map 4 E2. 1 Great Portland St,
opened in 1820 to link the Grand ∑ zsl.org Regent’s Park, Camden Town.
Junction Canal, which ended
at Little Venice in Paddington Opened in 1828, London Zoo is James Thomson is credited with
in the west, with the London one of London’s biggest tourist the detailed design of this, the
docks at Limehouse in the east. attractions, and a major research longest and most elaborate
He originally wanted the canal and conservation centre. The zoo of the Nash terraces around
to run through the middle of has over 600 species of animal, Regent’s Park. Its imposing central
his new Regent's Park, but was from Sumatran tigers – whose block of raised Ionic columns
dissuaded by those who number increased with the is topped with a decorated
thought that the bargees’ bad birth of two cubs in June 2016 – triangular pediment. Completed
language would offend the to bird­eating spiders. Exhibits in 1828, it was designed to be
genteel residents of the area. include Penguin Beach; a gorilla visible from the palace Nash
Perhaps this was just as well – kingdom; “meet the monkeys” planned for the Prince Regent
the steam tugs that hauled where you can walk among (later George IV). The palace was
the barges were dirty and never built because the Prince
sometimes dangerous. In 1874, was too busy with his plans for
a barge carrying gunpowder Buckingham Palace (see pp98–9).

Nash’s Cumberland Terrace, dating from 1828

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