Another angle turned, and the Traveller emerges again from the region of smoke, stone dust, and mud, and traversing some hazardous passages, pounces at once into the magnificent Crescent of the Regent’s Park, wondering at the utter lack of Public Taste, which could allow such a combination of Nuisances to exist, and even increase, in the immediate neighbourhood of this great Public Improvement, and along the only Road leading to it from the City of London.
Can the blame attach to the Commissioners of Mary-le-bone Roads Trust?—or is it caused by the contending Interests of the 21 Paving Boards of the Parish of St. Pancras, that the footpath on the South side of that quarter of a mile of Road is neither Paved nor Watched.
Without venturing to propose a Circus, or large open space, at the crossing of the New Road and Tottenham Court Road, with an Obelisk in the centre, like that in St. George’s Fields, where there is not half the traffic there is at this point—at which, for want of space, Accidents happen almost daily; and which accommodation to the Public, in this age of Improvement, is not to be considered impossible—it may not be impertinent to suggest, that the few houses which project into the Road on both sides, as well as the Sheds, which are, by continual additions, gradually converting into Houses, should be immediately removed; some of them are at this present time undergoing additions,—the longer this measure is delayed, the more expensive will the purchase become;—at present, Money might be easily raised for amply remunerating the occupiers of the premises alluded to, and a great public Benefit produced without any injury to Individuals.
If the Clause in the Act of Parliament, alluded to above, had been kept in due force, the Evils would not have arisen.
It is hoped that the New Commissioners of the Roads, who have the power, will have also the inclination, to remedy these Evils without delay, and that the Parish, and the Commissioners who have the management of the Regent’s Park will unite their endeavours for the same purpose.
In other quarters of the Town, our Economical Ancestors appear to have considered him as the most ingenious Architect, who could build up the greatest number of Houses in a given Space—the Palladios of the present day, are as prodigal of Space, as their frugal Forefathers were parsimonious, and seem to fancy, that he is the cleverest fellow who pulls most Houses down in a given time.
It must be granted, that the Town is improved by the Widening of the Streets; but while it is the Fashion, for the Idle Children of the Largest Growth, to all run together, into one Street, at One Hour; it avails little how wide it may be; nor can it counteract the sad inconvenience which arises from the extending of the Buildings, making it impossible for two-thirds of the Inhabitants of London ever to enjoy the animating influence of a walk in the fresh and fragrant Air of the Country—a blessing which was within their reach, when they had only to cross the New Road to be in the Mary-le-bone Fields;[22] on which, read the following remarks, which we copied from “the Examiner” of Sunday, the 22d of October, 1826:—
“To call the enclosure of these Fields a Park, is, with all submission, a little bit of a Misnomer; at least, it is no Park at present for the Public, who are excluded from all but the gravelled Roads, which are ornamented with about Fifteen Benches (without backs), in a circle of Three Miles in circumference! the nearest of which to the New Road, on the West side, is more than a Mile from it!! Surely the Managers of this concern might afford to give us as comfortable Seats, and as plenty of them, as those which have been lately so liberally and so properly placed in ‘Hyde Park.’
“Many Valetudinarians, and Persons advanced in Life, who stand most in need of the invigorating influence of pure Air, cannot Walk more than a Mile without Resting—such persons are tired by the time they get to the Park; but if there were Benches placed along the Walks opposite Park Square, York Terrace, &c., the weak and the weary might rest themselves, and then toddle on and treat their Lungs with a little fresh Air.”
It is said, that the Reason given for excluding the People from the Park, is, that the Trees are so young that they might be easily torn up—so may those on the North side of Hyde Park, for they are no older: but softly, is not this presuming that Mr. Bull is a greater Brute, than the Beasts which are grazing where he ought to be walking?