Debating Regent Street

What is the artistic and political intent behind Regent Street ? Is it “Neoclassical,” “Romantic,” “Liberal,” “Reactionary”?          

Using the readings and links below, we will address the question above in an informal debate

King George III went quite mad for the last time in December 1810. For the next ten years, from early 1811 until his formal accession to the throne in 1821, the Prince of Wales became regent, essentially ruling in his father's place. George III died in 1820 and the Regent became King George IV. His coronation ceremony was in 1821.

In 1811, the Prince Regent announced a competition for the design of a street to celebrate his regency. The street was to link Regent's Park to the hub of London in Westminster, location of the Regent's palace, Carlton House.The area for Regent's Park had been marshy fields known as Marylebone Park up until 1811 when ownership reverted to the crown.

Below are two of the proposed plans. On the right is John White's and in the middle is John Nash's (close to what actually gets built). The plans must be brought before a committee of the House of Commons before receiving permission to be implemented. Three groups have emerged: the Tories (the country gentry, wealthy merchants, and royal office holders) support any plan that will illustrate royal prestige and reinforce the Regent's prerogatives; the Whigs (industrialists and members of the bourgoisie who sought electoral, parliamentary, and philanthropic reforms) seek a plan that will recognize merchant interests, accommodate the middle class move to the suburbs and clean up London; the Radicals (workers, union organizers, small merchants, women's suffrage activisits) are skeptical of the Regent's motives and means and seek an opportunity to call for political and economic liberalization

"nothing" plan	John Nash Plan	John White Plan

.

Use the links above and the texts below to establish an opinion for your characters on the three proposals (the White Plan, the Nash Plan and opposition to any plan) for Regent Street and prepare a short statement explaining that opinion. There are also more general links below. We will read your statements in class and use them as the basis for dicussion. Each statement should be at a short paragraph, typed, amd include a primary source quote, if possible.

• Olsen, 15-34
• Timeline:  Political & Economic History of Great Britain
• Nancy Finnerty , The Challenges of Urban Expansion in Victorian London
• David Cody, A Brief History of London
• Andrew Meyers, The Search for the Neoclassical Street
• Nick Arioli, BoME 2000, Regent Street

Topical web sites:
Internet Modern History Sourcebook (Britain): http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook3.html#Britain
Regency Links: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/links.html
Regent’s Street: http://www.regent-street.co.uk/
Peel Web:http://ds.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/adw03/peel/peelhome.htm
The City As Hero: Victorian London in Life and Literature: http://www.gober.net/victorian/
Victorian Web:http://www.victorianweb.org/

Back to Top