In 1538 King Henry VIII seized this vast swathe of forest land from the Abbess of Barking and created his own personal deer hunting chase. It was reserved strictly for royalty and the King would take great delight in inviting visiting dignitaries to indulge in deer hunts and great venison feasts. Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth government seized the land following the English Civil War and it was virtually deforested to pay war debts. The park returned to the crown following Cromwell's death and was leased to tenant farmers until 1811 when the then Prince Regent (later King George IV) invited architects of the day to submit plans for the land’s redevelopment. John Nash was appointed to oversee the project and the land was renamed The Regent’s Park.
Today the park is the largest grassed area for sports in central London and offers opportunities for a wide variety of activities. It has superbly laid out formal gardens which include some 30,000 roses of 400 varieties and is home to London Zoo. The natural beauty of the park makes it one of the must see attractions in London with many photo opportunities to take as a reminder with you of your stay in London and your Big Bus sightseeing tour of the city.

Regents Park with the old GPO tower in the distance

Set within Regent’s Park is London Zoo, home to the Zoological Society of London. It was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1826 and his vision was for a seat of scientific excellence to be established in London. 180 years later the Zoo is at the forefront of world wildlife conservation with important work involving many endangered species.
Over the years the Zoo has played a role in many feature films, one of the most notable being Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone where the boy wizard discovers his ability to talk to snakes in the reptile house!

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Stop 32 of your Big Bus London sightseeing tour will also take you close to one of the world's most famous addresses, 221B Baker Street the address of Victorian super sleuth Sherlock Holmes.
Ever since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first brought Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson to life in 1887, visitors to London have flocked to the fictional detective's house to catch a glimpse or to ask him if he would take on their case! Indeed the Royal Mail deliver some 1,000 letters addressed to Holmes every year imploring him to solve their personal mystery! These are passed on to the current occupiers of the address who reply with a letter telling the writer that 'Mr Holmes no longer solves mysteries and has in fact retired to the country to raise chickens'

In place of the fictional address there is the Sherlock Holmes museum which is a faithful representation of the famous lodging house where Holmes and Watson lived. From there they would set about unravelling clues to some dastardly cases, many involving arch criminal and Holmes’s nemesis, professor James Moriarty.
The nearest London Underground tube station is Baker Street where a 9 foot statue of Holmes stands and which has itself now become a tourist attraction!

Statue of Sherlock Holmes outside Baker Street Underground station.

The most famous waxworks in the world has its beginnings in the late 18th century. Madame Tussaud’s has been a feature of London sightseeing since 1835. After 30 years of travelling with her wax models, Marie Grosholz (Madame Tussaud) placed her collection of waxworks and gruesome relics from the French Revolution on permanent display. Tussaud’s has become a sightseeing institution and the waxwork models are constantly reviewed and updated to reflect popular icons of the day. On current display are Leonardo Dicaprio, Orlando Bloom, David Beckham, Justin Timberlake and Kylie Minogue. You can also be photographed with Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Bob Marley, Pele and Mohammed Ali. From Royalty to celebrity, famous to infamous and modern to legendary, a huge range of very different personalities are captured to precise likeness under one roof.

When you purchase a ticket for a Big Bus London Sightseeing tour you will also have the opportunity to purchase a ‘beat the queue’ fast entry ticket to Madame Tussaud’s.

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