London: Regent Street and Hamley's (Shopping)

London: Regent Street and Hamley's (Shopping)


Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 20:00, Sunday 12:00 to 18:00. Some shops open later daily.
Nearest Stations: Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.

Regent Street is yet another popular shopping road in central London. It links to Oxford Street at Oxford Circus.

Generally speaking, this location features more of a mix of pricing styles than Oxford Street – here there are more affordable stores stood next to the likes of Burberry and Swarovski. It is by no means, a luxury shopping destination in the same way that New Bond Street and Old Bond Street are.

Regent Street was the world’s first shopping street, having been built in the 1820s and rebuilt 100 years later. The facades of all the buildings are lined in Portland Stone, with few exceptions. Today, the street is managed by The Crown Estate, and it was originally designed for the Prince Regent (who later became George IV).

Notable locations on the street include:
  • The Apple Store, located near Oxford Circus. This was the largest of the brand’s shops in the world up until 2010; 
  • Hamley’s, a toy store established in 1760 in High Holborn as “Noah’s Ark” and moved to its current location in the 1880s. Hamley’s is seven floors selling all manner of toys. It is the world’s oldest and largest toy shop.
  • Liberty, just off Regent Street on Marlborough Street, is a luxury department store. The building’s façade is in a beautiful mock Tudor style.
  • BBC Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
  • Running parallel to the west of Regent Street is Saville Row, the best place to buy tailor-made suits in London. 

Carnaby Street runs parallel to the east of Regent Street. Once the heart of fashionable shopping in the Swinging Sixties, the street is still a well-known name. Today, this street is pedestrianised and is home to 150 retailers, and 50 dining locations and bars.

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