Overview
John Wood the Younger designed the facade first and sold the plots behind it, so each owner built whatever house they liked as long as the front matched — the terrace is a piece of scenery with thirty different buildings behind it. The lawn in front is private to the residents but the ha-ha keeps it looking public, which was the intention. It has been used as the backdrop for every costume drama that needed a city, because nothing in the view postdates 1800.
Highlights
Number 1 Royal Crescent is worth the ticket: it is furnished room by room to 1770s use, servants’ floor included. Walk up from the Circus, five minutes away, to see the two together as they were planned. The lawn is a right of way, so you may cross it.