The Gardens of Regent s University London

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The Gardens of Regent’s

University London

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The University occupies the site of South Villa, one of the original Regent’s Park villas designed by royal architect John Nash in the early 1800s. Bedford Ladies’ College, founded in nearby Bedford Square by Elizabeth Jesser Reid in 1849, took a Crown lease on the estate in 1908.

The site is developed

Local residents protested and questions were asked in Parliament, but the college persevered in drawing up plans for a purpose-built site.

A library, science laboratories and other amenities were designed by architect Basil Champneys in Queen Anne style. The Tate Library was built with £10,000 donated by Lady Amy Tate in memory of her husband Henry, founder of the Tate Gallery.

The new college was opened by Queen Mary in 1913. Science was at the core of its curriculum, together with the arts and humanities and teacher training.

Regent’s University London

sits in 11 acres of Crown Estate

land within Regent’s Park. The

site has been dedicated to higher

education for more than 100 years,

and was originally home to the

first college of higher education

for women in Britain.

Margaret Tuke and students in the Botany Garden, 1929. Miss Tuke was principal of Bedford College from 1907 to 1929

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The ladies of Bedford College were accommodated in Reid Hall, overlooking the park lake, which still houses Regent’s students today. Sport was extremely popular among the young ladies, who established a boating club on the lake and played tennis, hockey, cricket and lacrosse in the grounds. During the First World War, the college held parties for wounded soldiers, known as ‘relaxation gatherings’, on the lawn outside Reid Hall. An allotment society was formed and part of the grounds dug up for growing vegetables.

The original Champneys design featured buildings occupying three sides of a quadrangle which opened towards the lake. In 1930, the new Tuke Building completed the square and the original South Villa (which

stood on the site now occupied by the corners of the Darwin and Tuke buildings), was demolished. The South Lodge, on the south-east corner of the estate, is the only part of the original Nash design remaining. English garden parties became an established summer tradition in the 20th century, many featuring

visits from Royalty. Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra were joint patrons of the college, and HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, visited many times as patron between 1953 and 1984. Aerial view of the campus

from about 1921, showing the new layout designed by Basil Champneys. In the centre is the original South Villa, demolished in 1930 to make way for the Tuke building. In the foreground is the newly laid-out Botany Garden

A ‘relaxation gathering’ for wounded soldiers in about 1915 HRH The Earl of Athlone (centre) and guests at a garden party in July, 1933. In the background are the two halls of residence, originally connected by a loggia

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During the Second World War students were evacuated, but some staff remained. On 10 May 1941, one of last and worst of the great air raids on London destroyed about one-third of the college buildings. Of the original 1913 buildings, the Tate Library remained, together with the Acland building, the halls of residence and the student common room.

Extensive rebuilding took place from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. In 1966, the Botany Garden laboratories were built to provide

space for teaching and research and included a greenhouse-laboratory specially designed for radioactive work with plants. Bedford College moved out during the 1980s and in 1984 the Crown lease was taken by Rockford College, Illinois to provide a study-abroad programme for American students. Gradually, other institutions took up residence on the campus, merging into a unified college in 2006.

In 2013, the institution became Regent’s University London, an international campus community with 5,000 students from around 140 countries worldwide, offering a broad range of British and American foundation, degree and postgraduate programmes.

Regent’s gardens today

A team of five gardeners looks after the gardens today. We also employ a garden apprentice and take volunteer trainees from Thrive, a charity that offers horticultural training and therapy to individual with special needs.

The gardens are managed to encourage biodiversity and sustainability. We recycle 99% of our garden waste for use as compost and mulch within the gardens. We have hives with honey bees and grow some of the vegetables and herbs used in the University kitchens.

We have also installed green roofs on two of the University buildings (Jebb and Pilcher – see plan, centre pages), which help to reduce heat loss. They are full of bees throughout the summer months and are starting to be colonised by native wildflowers like bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

We are planning to build a larger greenhouse so we can start to produce half of our own bedding. We will also be able to grow some cut flowers out of season and around 10-15% of the indoor plants used for displays within the University. Our planting programme over the last few years has focused on replacing some of the evergreen shrubs with more flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants to encourage wildlife. In the past, mainly evergreen species such as viburnum and box were planted, which have little ecological value. A seasonal programme for pruning shrubs is resulting in improved flowers and appearance. We have also planted many thousands of bulbs over the last five years.

We have sown a native wildflower meadow in our woodland area, which flowered for the first time in 2013, and we are planning to expand this area over time.

Where possible, we try to plant native trees. However as we are in a conservation area, if we remove a plant the local authority may instruct us to plant the same species again, to ensure the gardens are kept true to their historical context. The Oliver dining hall is

destroyed by bombs, 1941 The Botany Garden

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1 Black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) 2 Chilean lantern tree (Crinodendron hookerianum)

3 Box (buxus sempervirens) hedges and topiary and Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’

4 Originally the site of a Sundial Garden 5 Main drive that originally led to the South Villa 6 Anchor plant (Colletia paradoxa)

7 Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

8 Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’, in memory of student Jourdan Deal 9 Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan’, in memory of staff member Simon Hamm 10 Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’, in memory of staff member Andrew Ropek 11 Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’ in memory of Sigurdh Frida Zorzi 12 Black mulberry (Morus nigra)

13 Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis)

14 Copper beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea’) 15 Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)

16 Prunus avium, in memory of Miss Irene J Shepard, Secretary 1948-63 17 Betula albosinensis, in memory of student Martine Vik Magnussen 18 Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

19 Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) 20 Himalayan birch (Betula utilis)

21 Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) 22 Foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

23 Liquidambar styraciflua, in memory of students Beth Ann Johnson and Elyse Seraceni 24 Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)

25 Corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’)

26 Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’, in memory of staff member Richard Gregson 27 Japanese banana (Musa basjoo)

28 Tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica)

29 Norway maple (Acer platanoides ‘Variegatum’)

30 The Regent’s Plane (Platanus x hispanica), designated one of the ‘Great Trees of London’ 31 Site of the South Villa, designed by Regency architect John Nash

32 Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) 33 Beehives

34 Vegetable and herb garden

A tour of the gardens

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The garden layout remains

largely as it has been

throughout the 20th century,

with many mature trees,

shrubs and wide expanses

of lawn. Don’t miss our

‘secret garden’ – formerly

the Bedford College botany

garden – which is tucked

away behind mature hedges

and features a sheltered

network of paths, a pond and

many plant specimens.

The gardens are home to a wide variety of tree and shrub specimens from all around the world, some of them rare or unusual. There are a number of memorial trees dedicated to former students and staff.

Main entrance

On the lawn at the front of the University is a black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia). A native of Eastern America, the tree has a symbiotic relationship with a bacterium (rhizobia) on its root nodules, which absorbs nitrogen from the atmosphere for use by the plant. In the adjacent border there is a Chilean lantern tree

(Crinodendron hookerianum) which is endemic to Chile. This attractive shrub has small lantern-like, dark pink flowers throughout most of the summer. It is very hardy and can thrive in the far north of Scotland.

Quadrangle

This garden area is set out with formal box (Buxus sempervirens) hedges and topiary. The outer edges are planted with yellow Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’. The sculpture at the centre of the quad (pictured above) was installed in November 2000 and represents the global reach of the University.

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The car park between Acland and the Tate Library was once the site of a Sundial Garden. The road here, leading from the South Lodge, was originally the driveway that led round to the South Villa. The trees along the bank are unfortunately infected with Plane anthracnose, which makes their leaves shrivel and drop throughout the summer. There is no cure for this.

Folly

The small stone building in this area was once used as a boat store by the ladies of Bedford College. In our rocky sub-tropical bed there is an anchor plant

(Colletia paradoxa). This is a hardy cactus from South America and is a highly unusual plant, normally seen only in botanical gardens. It flowers in autumn with sweetly scented lilac flowers.

The Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki), planted in 2009, is a native of China (despite its common name!) Its trade name is ‘Sharon Fruit’ and its fruits are edible when fully ripe, but bitter otherwise due to its tannin content.

Main garden

Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’,

in memory of student Jourdan Deal

Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan’,

in memory of staff member Simon Hamm

Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’

in memory of staff member Andrew Ropek

Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’

in memory of Sigurdh Frida Zorzi

The black mulberry (Morus nigra) is a native of south-east Asia and produces delicious edible fruit in the summer which can be used in jams or sorbets. A great many were imported to Britain in the 17th century to encourage the growth of the silk industry. However, the attempt failed, as silkworms turned out to prefer the white mulberry (Morus alba)!

The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), planted in 2008, was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in Australia in 1994. It is a prehistoric tree, dating back more than 90 million years. It is part of the Araucariaceae family - one of its relatives, the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is close by.

Tuke Hall in the autumn 4 5 6 7 Reid Hall in the Winter 8 9 10 11 12 13

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The copper beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea’) is a native mutant tree from Europe, first discovered in Germany in 1488, and coppiced for firewood and charcoal production. These trees have rings to protect them from compaction and are thriving as a result. Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) is a British native tree. It was named ‘whitebeam’ by the Anglo-Saxons, ‘baum’ being the German word for ‘tree’. It is a good tree for growing in cities as it is resistant to shade and pollution.

Prunus avium,

in memory of Miss Irene J Shepard, Secretary 1948-63

Betula albosinensis,

in memory of student Martine Vik Magnussen

By the back gate there is a large horse chestnut

(Aesculus hippocastanum), which is native to Greece and Albania. Its foliage turns brown in mid-summer due to infection by horse-chestnut leaf miner

(Cameraria ohridella). This particular tree is ‘layering’ itself, rooting its branches back into the ground.

On the corner leading towards the Botany building is a large Turkey oak (Quercus cerris), which is native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor and was introduced to Britain in the 18th century. On this tree we are training a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris).

The Himalayan birch (Betula utilis) is a native of the Himalayas. With white, paper-like bark and striking yellow autumn colour, it makes an attractive garden feature.

The ‘secret’ garden

This area was originally the Bedford College Botany Garden, which was used for studying the classification of plants, diseases and plant breeding.

Entering the garden, on your right is a dawn redwood

(Metasequoia glyptostroboides). A native of China, this is the least tall of the redwoods. Unlike other redwoods, in autumn its leaves turn yellow and fall. By the pond there is a foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa), native to central and western China. It is an unusual-looking tree with large leaves and tubular purple flowers like a foxglove, produced before the leaves in early spring.

The University holds many events and student gatherings in the gardens throughout the year 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

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Liquidambar styraciflua,

in memory of students Beth Ann Johnson and Elyse Seraceni

The Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco. This tree is tolerant of drought and warm conditions, unlike most conifers, and is used for forestry and timber production in southern France.

The corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’) along the perimeter is a British native. This variety was a natural ‘sport’ (a genetic variation) found growing in a hedgerow in England in the mid-1800s. The variation is grafted onto a rootstock which sends up suckers that need to be pruned out.

Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’,

in memory of staff member Richard Gregson

The Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) (27) was thought to have originated from the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, but is now known to be from southern China. It is an ornamental banana and not grown for fruit. It takes 12 to 24 months of constant warmth in order to bloom.

The tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) is native to Australia, where it is mainly found in south-east Queensland, coastal New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Large tree ferns come from harvested old growth which may be hundreds of years old. The pith of this plant is edible. The variegated Norway maple (Acer platanoides

‘Variegatum’) has dense foliage which becomes bright yellow, tinged with pink in autumn. It is tolerant of shade. The most notable plants on the site include our collection of London planes (Platanus x hispanica).

This species, which is a hybrid of Platanus orientalis and

Platanus occidentalis is especially adapted to city drought and pollution because of its thick, waxy leaves and habit of ‘self-cleaning’ by shedding its bark. The Regent’s

Plane has been designated one of the ‘Great Trees of London’ (pictured left, to the far right of the image). The left-hand third of the Tuke building is where the South Villa, designed by Regency architect John Nash, once stood. It was pulled down in 1930.

Covering the brickwork is Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) a native of central and eastern North America. It is a very attractive climber, turning a deep burgundy colour in the autumn, making it a real feature of the University. In early summer, the walls are covered with the lilac flowers and fragrance of wisteria. Behind Reid Hall, there are beehives and a small

productive garden where we grow vegetables and herbs, some of which are used in the University kitchens.

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garden party guests, 1923

Historical information from: Bentley, Linna, Educating Women A Pictorial History of Bedford College University of London 1849-1985 (1991) Alma Publishers, Surrey. Historical images courtesy of the Royal Holloway University of London Archive. Inside front cover: RHC AR/BC PH/1/2/3. Pages xx-xx BC PH/7/3; BC PH/6/4/1; BC PH/3/1/5; BC PH/2/4/2/12; BC PH/4/4/4. Inside back cover: BC PH/3/1/2/14

The Gardens of Regent s University London