Regent Park

From a map dated 1759 Regents Park Road doesn't exist

From a map dated around 1810 - 1840 shows the line of the road but no houses

and from1826

Regent Park, Millbrook laid out around 1840 occupies the land North of the Millbrook Road between Freemantle to the East and Tanner's Brook to the West, with Shirley Village to the North. Today the one main road Regent's Park Road extends from the Millbrook 6 lane highway to Park Road - St Edmunds junction

This is a stylised map of around 1850

Some have speculated why they named the area Regent Park and there is a story the Regent George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, who became Regent in 1811 and ruled as Regent until 1820 visited a big house in Shirley and the route became Regent Road, later Regent Park Road. The problem with this is the road layout and housing didn't commence until the 1840's and Queen Victoria was crowned on the 20 June 1837. There is a local legend that the Regent swam the Test at Millbrook Point but this is just a local legend. 

If you were to walk the length of Regent Park back in 1850 you would start at the gates opposite St Nicholas Church (demolished 1939) and the view would look like this

The church

St Nicholas: This, the traditional Millbrook parish church, was situated on the south side of Millbrook Road, opposite the south end of Regent’s Park Road (and so well outside the historic borough). It was probably built in the 16th century, and was in a ruinous state of repair for much of the 18th century.

Its condition worsened in the late 18th century when the site became flooded following construction of the Salisbury Canal nearby. An Act of Parliament for the demolition of the church was obtained in 1797 but, because money for a new church could not be found, further repairs were carried out on the old church. In 1827 the existing chancel and tower were incorporated into a new, octagonal church by architect George Draper, but even such an extensive rebuild failed to remedy the chronic problems of damp.

It continued to deteriorate throughout the 19th century and was eventually replaced by Holy Trinity Church in 1872. It was demolished in 1939. The churchyard, on the opposite side of Millbrook Road, at the north-west corner of the Regent’s Park Road and Millbrook Road, still survives but is no longer used for burials.

Link:

Walking up from the church the cemetery on your left and Blighmont on your right the view would look like this 

Showing left to right Claremont, Newlands, Lansdowne and Tower House.

Side by side comparison of the junction of Millbrook Road and Regent Park showing the view around 1900 and the position of St Nicholas and the graveyard.

The census in 1871 (below) shows that there were few houses along the road and the 1st being Claremont Villa being accessed at the fork in the road where today lies the Regent's Park Inn, Claremont Crescent (today) being the original carriage drive.

Claremont Villa

The next house you see on the left would have been "Newlands" (entrance down what today is Stanton Road), with "Hendon" (Mark Close today) on the right closely followed by "Lansdowne" on the left. (More about Lansdowne later)

Two views of Lansdowne

Further on and just past Waterhouse Cut (today Waterhouse Way)  the walker will find "Tower House" on the right (and visible in the 1853 engraving above) opposite is "Kelstone"
Further along on the left is Riversfield Lodge (became Ashdene in 1881 history here, then Clifton Lodge (now Thorner's Alms houses moved from where the Town Hall was built early 1933 history link), remembered in the naming of Clifton Road.
On the left continuing along are 3 smaller villas with 2 villas on the right (more from the census later). Today two villas are still on the left as are the 2 on the right.
Finally the walker reaches the gates across the drive,


1871 Census
Claremont Villa

William & Amelia Angus (Land owner and retired Army Captain) and 6 children
2 relatives and 4 live in servants

Claremont Lodge Gate house

George & Jane Smith (Gardener) and 2 children

Newlands

Arthur & Christian Fennell (No trade listed) and 4 children
3 servants

Hendon

Alexander & Eliza Begbie (Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Madras Army) and 3 children
2 servants

Lansdowne

Elizabeth & Harriett Richardson (sisters) (Fundholders) and a niece
5 servants

Tower House

Caroline Hay (Houses and funds) and a cousin, brother and nephew
4 servants

Kelstone

George & Mary Dunlop, son and niece plus 4 servants (Shipping agent)


Riversfield Lodge

Robert & Mary Buttermere (C of E Clergyman) and 1 child
5 servants

Westfield

Anna Tetlow (widow and landlady) and 2 visitors
1 servant

Clifton Lodge Ladies School

Staff and 15 pupils
3 servants

Clark Villa

James & Henrietta Moir (Commander)
2 servants

Further properties have no name or number on census

Next I will concentrate on Lansdowne