James Burton was probably the most significant builder of Georgian London, responsible for large areas of Bloomsbury, as well as St Johns Wood and Clapham Common. He also collaborated with John Nash at Regent’s Park.

In 1828 he started building a new seaside town at St Leonards on the Sussex coast near Hastings, based closely on his experiences at Regents Park.

Although primarily a builder, James Burton designed many of his own works, particularly at St Leonards, and examples of these drawings survive in the Hastings Museum.