St John's Lodge Garden

Absolutely wonderful place. Quiet, has a lot of shade, grass everywhere, flower beds. Why is it better than some places closer to the Regent parks ponds? Because it has no duck shit. If you have a toddler who will not stay on your carefully prepared blanket, this fact is important.

St John's Lodge Garden – that deliciously clandestine horticultural hideaway that bills itself as Regent's Park's "secret garden" whilst simultaneously appearing on approximately every London garden blog known to humanity. It's marketed as a garden "designed to be meditative," though one suspects the 3rd Marquess of Bute never anticipated his peaceful retreat would become a pilgrimage site for Instagram-wielding meditation enthusiasts. The garden announces its secrecy with all the subtlety of a theatrical whisper – tucked behind "an open cast iron gate (one open, one closed, usually)" that "looks like it might be a private garden" but absolutely isn't, darling. This is urban camouflage at its finest: a garden playing hard to get whilst leaving its door perpetually ajar. I arrived expecting horticultural tranquillity and instead found myself in what appeared to be an outdoor mindfulness workshop. The garden writhed with visitors practising various forms of contemplative tourism – some photographing every urn with archaeological intensity, others performing what I can only describe as competitive serenity. The design itself is undeniably exquisite – Robert Weir Shultz's 1889 vision of "a series of compartments ornamented with sculpture and stonework" creates an intimate theatre of botanical excellence. The rose garden's "four quarter beds around a central basin" with their "circular and semi-circular plantings" demonstrate geometric perfection that would satisfy the most obsessive-compulsive garden designer. The Royal Parks work admirably hard "to maintain the garden as a quiet space," though they're fighting a losing battle against the gravitational pull of social media-ready serenity. Yet when you catch it in an unguarded moment – perhaps early on a Tuesday when the only witnesses are the genuinely knowledgeable gardeners – the space reveals its authentic magic. The "over 30 types of rose, mainly old roses" create a fragrant symphony that could convert even the most committed concrete enthusiast. The wisteria-clad entrance tunnel genuinely does make you feel like Alice tumbling into horticultural Wonderland, albeit one with significantly better maintenance and fewer talking rabbits. St John's Lodge Garden succeeds magnificently at being beautiful whilst failing spectacularly at being secret. It's a horticultural paradox – a genuine oasis of tranquillity that's been discovered by everyone seeking undiscovered tranquillity. Five stars for the garden design. Two stars for the "secret" element, which has about as much mystery as a Tesco's opening hours. Bonus points for providing an excellent case study in how to market solitude in the age of crowd-sourced serenity.

It’s a bit hidden but I was recommended to go inside by a woman who just visited it and was walking out haha. Just a piece of fairytale inside of this garden.

A super beautiful and usually quiet spot for some peace and quiet just off the inner circle of Regent’s Park. Has great water features and a few some what obscure but lovely bronze sculptures. Not the easiest entrance to find but the entrance has a little canopy of flowers and in the summer/spring this place is beautiful. A few hidden benches to sit upon and watch the world go by. Make sure to wonder around all of it to take it all in.

Literally a secret garden, so peaceful, yet in central London.

Beautiful and peaceful gardens. Very well maintained. There are a lot of beautiful statues, water feature, benches and flower beds. Thanks to Google, I've come to know its existence.

Lovely part of Regents park. Highly recommend the park to anyone visiting London. Especially great in the spring time with all the cherry blossoms and tulips in full bloom.

As this is my secret retreat I'm reluctant to rate it with 5 stars ... but being an honest soul, 5 stars actually isn't enough. If you love gardens and you think you've done Regents Park, seek out the beautiful garden at St John's Lodge. If you find it, you definitely won't regret it and maybe it'll become your sanctuary too ... but shhhhhh don't tell too many people!

Hidden along the Inner Circle of Regent's Park is a secret. It's the hidden Garden of St. John's Lodge. Between a couple of hedges, there's a half open gate which might imply that it's a private garden. Far from it, this is completely open to the public. But good luck finding it! Through the aforementioned gate, down a path and around a turn, there it is. A perfect English garden. No one quite knows as much about these gardens as an Englishman! Even quieter and more sedate than a walk through Regent's Park, you would hardly know that you're here in the capital of one of the largest cities in Europe. There are no sirens here. No buses going past. No loud motorcycles. Just peace and quiet. A small slice of heaven. Perfectly manicured grass, plants that have been cared for and a shady spot where you can sit and reflect. I love it. If only I could find it again!

The Garden of St. John's Lodge is so beautiful. It is hidden away and can be accessed from the inner circle of Regent's Park. It reminds me of a secret garden because of it's quiet and serene nature that seems to be untouched. You enter through a iron gate and stroll along under arches above covered in green that leads you into a beautiful English garden. This is a wonderful place to go to relax and absorb the beautiful surroundings.

This garden is a real Londoner's secret. It's darn hard to find - even when your trying to go there, but well worth it. It's located at about 2 o'clock on the inner circle. I come here usually once a year for a geocaching even, and it is just lovely. It's almost like one of those fancy gardens that are next to manor houses, but hidden in the heart of London. It's well worth a visit, just to have a sit down to admire the garden. It's also easy to combine with a trip to the rose garden if you time the trip right according to the season.