Regent's Park - Queen Mary's Gardens

Essential Intel

Please note: this Trail takes you into Queen Mary's Gardens, where unfortunately, dogs are not allowed.

Check park closing times before setting off. If York Bridge is closed during your investigation, follow the advised diversions.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Regent's Park and Queen Mary's Gardens, with Detectives helping twin siblings Ellie and Rudy Mentry uncover the truth behind an unpublished manuscript and identify who used a poisonous rose in a real-life crime around Regent's Park.

The investigation covers 2.5 miles and should take 2+ hours to complete. You'll start outside Baker Street Underground station on Marylebone Road, then spend most of the case exploring Regent's Park and Queen Mary's Gardens before returning towards Baker Street.

This Trail is wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible. The route is level, with some roads to cross and several bridges and paths around the lake.

Few roads are crossed, but take care when crossing, especially where there is no marked pedestrian crossing. Keep Mini Detectives close around the water, and be ready to follow diversions if the park bridge is closed.

Getting There

By car: The investigation begins outside Baker Street Underground station on Marylebone Road (NW1 5LD). Gather your Detectives there before setting off into Regent's Park.

By public transport: The Trail starts and ends at Baker Street Underground station. Head outside onto Marylebone Road to begin the case, and if you are ready to head back to base at the end, continue along Baker Street to return to the Underground station.

Need the Loo?

Public toilets can be found in Queen Mary's Gardens and at Clue 13. Both cost 20p, so keep a little change handy for your detective squad.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Detectives face one important restriction on this case: dogs are not allowed in Queen Mary's Gardens. 🐾

The route also includes roads to cross, bridges, lakeside paths and water nearby, so keep any canine companions close where they are able to join you, and plan ahead for the Queen Mary's Gardens section.

Food & Drink Stops

Evidence-gathering is hungry work. The Regent's Bar and Kitchen is passed after Clue 05, and The Boathouse Cafe is passed after Clue 14.

There are also shops and cafes near the start and end points, while most of the park is ideal for a picnic if your Detectives prefer to bring their own supplies.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Queen Mary's Gardens

Queen Mary's Gardens are at the heart of this floral whodunnit. First opened in 1932, with the rose garden following in 1934, they contain the largest collection of roses in London, with over 12,000 roses planted in 85 separate beds. In summer, keep an eye out for the Delphinium garden near the cafe and the Begonia beds too.

St John's Lodge Gardens

The peaceful gardens at St John's Lodge are open to the public, making them a calm optional extra during your park investigation. The Lodge itself is a private residence, built in 1818 as the second occupied villa in the park, and was used as a hospital for disabled officers in the First World War. The gardens include a Grade II listed sculpture.

The Regent's Park

The Regent's Park has a long trail of evidence behind it. The area was part of Tyburn Manor in the Middle Ages, became hunting ground for deer in 1539, passed to Oliver Cromwell in 1646, returned to Royal ownership with Charles II in 1660, and was redeveloped by architect John Nash from 1806. London Zoo was built in 1828, and the public were allowed into the park from 1835.

The Boating Lake

The route takes you around the lake, which is now off limits unless you are a duck or piloting a paddle-boat. It used to become a skating rink every winter, but after the ice cracked in 1867 and 200 people fell into the water, with 40 sadly not surviving, the lake was drained to a depth of just four feet.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

If your Detectives want to continue the theme of their investigations, The Sherlock Holmes Museum is suggested as an extra stop. It makes a fitting encore after a mystery that begins and ends at Baker Street Underground station.