St John's Lodge, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Lodge |
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St John's Lodge, in Regent's Park, London
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| Location | Inner Circle, Regent's Park, City of Westminster, London, England |
| Built | 1812 |
| Built for | Charles Augustus Tulk |
| Architect | John Raffield |
| Owner | Royal family of Brunei Darussalam |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: St John's Lodge, Regent's Park | |
| Designated | 5 February 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1277478 |
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St John's Lodge is a very important old house in London. It is a private home located in Regent's Park, in the City of Westminster, England. It is so special that it is protected by law. This means it is a "Grade II* listed building," which is a really important historical building.
Since 1994, St John's Lodge has belonged to the royal family of Brunei. Brunei is a country in Southeast Asia. The house is the London home of Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei. St John's Lodge is found on the "Inner Circle" road inside Regent's Park. This area is now part of the City of Westminster in London.
The Story of St John's Lodge
St John's Lodge was the very first large house, called a villa, built in Regent's Park. It was built in 1812. The architect John Raffield designed it for Charles Augustus Tulk. The Royal Parks service says that St John's Lodge and The Holme are the only two original villas left. These were part of John Nash's first idea for Regent's Park. He had even planned for a royal palace there.
Over the years, many different people have owned the lodge. These owners included Lord Wellesley and Sir Isaac Goldsmid. Later, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute also owned it.
St John's Lodge as a School Building
For some time, the house was used by universities. From 1937 to 1959, the University of London's Institute of Archaeology used the building. This institute studies old human history and cultures.
Then, from 1959 to 1983, the history and classics departments of Bedford College were located there. Classics is the study of ancient Greek and Roman times.
The Gardens and Recent History
The beautiful gardens next to the house have been open to the public since 1928. This means people can visit and enjoy them.
In 1987, a company called Messila House bought St John's Lodge for £9 million. They made the house much bigger, doubling its size. In 1994, they sold it to the royal family of Brunei for £40 million. At that time, it was the most expensive private house in the UK.
