An early 19th century plan for houses in Hyde Park

A plan for an estate on the east side of Hyde Park, containing one large detatched mansion and eight semi-detached town houses, and a New Lodge guarding an entrance to the park. The development would cover the area facing Park Lane between Upper Brook Street and South Street. The map also marks the Chelsea Waterworks Company reservoir that is now the 'Joy of Life Fountain'. Plans such as these were drawn up by the government to maximise revenue from the Crown Estate at a time when the Napoleonic Wars were an expensive drain on the coffers.