Secret Gardens in London

0
2312

When travelling through London, you’ll never be short of a beautiful garden to visit. Some of our favourite options can be found in this list, and present you with a number of incredible spaces to explore during your stay.

These gardens are tucked away from view and may not be as well known to the general public – letting you discover them in peace…

Postman’s Park

This park is known for its stunning scenery, but it is also notable for its unusual namesake. Postman’s Park became popular for the many city workers who descended on the park for weekend lunches. Many of these workers were employees at the nearby General Post Office.

The space is home to a number of fascinating finds, including the Watts memorial which was built in 1900. Created by Victorian-era painter GF Watts (1817-1904), he was also noted for his philanthropy, and harboured particularly strong sympathies towards individuals who were among the city’s poorer residents. Having written to The Times newspaper in 1887, he implored people to help him commemorate the heroes who had given their lives helping other people. The park was conceived as part of the celebrations during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

This idea eventually led to the launch of Postman’s Park and the Watts gallery. On the gallery walls, Watts has commemorated brave acts using special ‘tablets’. Many of these ideas centre on fire-related accidents, saving children and train accidents.

In addition, the garden includes a sundial and striking flower beds, alongside a beautiful fountain. This all combines to help make the park one of the most beautiful locations for visitors to enjoy before heading for a relaxing Park Grand Afternoon Tea.

Freightliners City Farm

This striking outdoor space is a popular community location which you can find in the heart of Islington. Run as a charitable endeavour, the space regularly welcomes thousands of visitors and runs programmes with an intention to impact visitors and volunteers positively.

The farm runs a series of projects throughout the year, which individuals can get involved with – and spans some 2.5 acres of green gardens, farmland and a cafe.

Culpeper Community Garden

The Culpeper Community Garden provides an oasis of calm in the busy city, and is kept running by kind donations by local enthusiasts. Located in Islington, this public space has already won awards for its encouragement of unity and togetherness.

Surrounding the garden you’ll find an abundance of busy roads and shopping districts, which provide a more traditional take on city living. However, if you want to get away from it all for a little while (or maybe enjoy a picnic), then this garden is the perfect venue.

Red Cross Garden

An award-winning park which was built during the Victorian era, the Red Cross Garden was fully renovated and restored to its former glory in 2005.

First developed alongside a series of nearby cottages in 1886, the park was designed by noted social reformer Octavia Hill. As one of the founders of the National Trust, she considered this to be her flagship green space. The park was developed with the intent of showing how important it is for all people to have better housing and access to nature.

During the 1940s, the original layout was lost. The restoration project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the garden was once more opened to the public in 2006, with the support of the Princess Royal. As with so many additions to our list, this would make a delightful spot to explore before enjoying a Park Grand Hyde Park Afternoon Tea.

Golders Green Crematorium

A crematorium might not sound like the most pleasant place to visit, but Golders Green Crematorium allows a wide range of different memorial options, all within a stunning garden.

Known as ‘The Garden of Rest’, the team at the crematorium are creating a ‘living memorial’ which includes unique experiences throughout the season. The floral life is particularly stunning, and has helped to make this a delightfully vibrant part of the city.

Visitors often head here many years after commemorating a loved one, remembering the time they spent together in a beautiful London garden.

Bonnington Square

If you’re biding your time before trying a Park Grand London Kensington Afternoon Tea, then this is another beautiful green a space in London, to explore Bonnington Square was built in the 1870s. It later found some notoriety as the site of many squatters, following a mass vacation of the properties in this district.

In 1990, a plan was hatched to transform the space from a squatter’s idyll to a ‘pleasure garden’. This project was launched in 1998, and the garden is now often home to live performances and activities.

St Marys Secret Garden

St Mary’s Secret Garden is on a mission to help boost the well-being of London’s residents, a goal it aims for through a mixture of education, gardening and healthy-living initiatives.

The garden is a fine example of a London-based urban green space, with therapy options which utilise the very best of horticulture and gardening. The garden is particularly focused on conquering the effects of social exclusion, and wants to encourage visitors to make friends with both each other, the plant life on show and the world around them.

If these all sound like noble aims, then a trip here could be the ideal way to spend your morning before an ice cream afternoon tea.

The Kyoto Japanese Garden

Set within Holland Park, the Kyoto Garden is an authentic Japanese-style park in West London. The Kyoto Garden is in fact a gift from the city of Kyoto, and was intended to express the gratitude of the people of Japan to British citizens, following the disasters which struck the city in 2011.

Aesthetically, the Kyoto Garden offers tiered waterfalls, a pond filled with koi carp and stone lanterns. There are also maple trees all the way from Japan.

LEAVE A REPLY