London’s Pocket Parks - Archive Articles

London’s Pocket Parks: Asteys Row Rock Garden, N1

Just off Islington's busy Essex Road is a long linear rock garden that's the legacy of a company that brought fresh water to the City.

Plans to open a disused railway as the “Camden Highline” are approved

Plans to convert a disused railway in North London into an elevated walkway for pedestrians have been given the go-ahead after Camden Council granted planning permission for the first section of the highline walkway.

London’s Pocket Parks: Embassy Gardens, SW11

This is a cluster of new pocket parks that were created as part of the Nine Elms property developments and are fortunately much more appealing than the ghastly marketing language that's been used by Ballymore to describe them.

London’s Pocket Parks: Nelson Square Garden, SE1

This is a large municipal square in Southwark surrounded on most sides by post-war housing blocks but was built as a square surrounded by Georgian housing.

London’s Pocket Parks: Compton Terrace Gardens, N1

This is a pair of gardens that run in front of a row of houses and were originally private spaces for the houses, but are now open to the public to enjoy.

London’s Pocket Parks: Aske Gardens, N1

This is a large pocket park in Hoxton surrounded by old trees, with two-thirds of the site given over to sports, and owes its origins to philanthropy.

London’s Pocket Parks: Canonbury Square Gardens, N1

These are two pocket parks in North Islington surrounded by a square of Georgian houses that were laid out just under 200 years ago.

London’s Pocket Parks: Owens Field, EC1

This pocket park close to Angel tube station has existed ever since the area around it was turned from fields into houses, but for most of its life, it wasn't a space for the public to use - it was a school playground.

London’s Pocket Parks: Savoy Chapel Gardens, WC2

Hidden around the back of the shops on Strand can be found a rather fine looking small pocket park that has royal connections.

London’s Pocket Parks: Railway Fields, N4

This is a former railway depot that's now a nature reserve and has a plant that's unique to the area, albeit not one you would want in your back garden

London’s Pocket Parks: Parsons Green, SW6

This is a large triangle of green that gave its name to the wider area and although nearly lost to development, survives as a public park.

London’s Pocket Parks: Ufford Street Gardens, SE1

This is a pocket park that can be found in a residential area near Waterloo, and while you might assume it's the result of WW2 clearance, in fact, it's older than that.

London’s Pocket Parks: Charterhouse Square, EC1

This is a large open space close to Barbican that sits on top of a large 14th-century plague pit, and since then although everywhere around has been developed, the plague pit has never been built on.

London’s Pocket Parks: Vaughan Way Wildlife Garden, E1

In Wapping, East London is a long narrow strip of land between houses and the pavement that, if you can find the entrance, conceals a woodland walk to explore.

London’s Pocket Parks: 25 Cannon Street, EC4 — Redux

A refurbished pocket park recently opened close to St Paul's Cathedral and is notable now for a large polished reflection pond that gives photographers reflections of the cathedral in the still water.

The East London park filled with WW2 fortifications

A large public park in East London contains probably the richest collection of WW2 concrete fortifications still existing within London within one small area.

London’s railway stations going green with pocket gardens

Loads of railway stations across London are getting a gardening makeover as Transport for London's (TfL) annual staff gardening competition opens for entries.

London’s Pocket Parks: Marchmont Community Garden, WC1

This is a pocket park in Bloomsbury next to the Brunswick Centre that was once a private garden and fenced off, but just over a decade ago was opened up as a public space.

London’s Pocket Parks: Abingdon Green, SW1

This is probably one of the most famous parks in London that you didn't know the name of, as it's where journalists interview politicians when standing outside Parliament.

London’s Pocket Parks: Terrace Gardens, TW10

This is a large sloping park close to the river in Richmond that has good views, loads of winding paths and seating, a few fun nooks to explore and a lot of flower beds.

London’s Pocket Parks: Distaff Lane Garden, EC4

Shortly before the pandemic locked us all in our homes, the City of London gained a lovely new pocket park very close to St Paul's Cathedral, and if you've not seen it yet, that could be because it's on a side street that hardly anyone walks down.

London’s Pocket Parks: Eden Garden, SW4

This is a wildlife park that tumbles down a steep slope in Wandsworth, sitting next to an ancient church.

Approval for Grosvenor Square park redevelopment

A large public garden in central London, Grosvenor Square will reach its 300-year anniversary in 2025, and ahead of that, plans to substantially revamp the park's layout has been given the green light to go ahead.

London’s Pocket Parks: Southbank roof garden, SE1

High up on the concrete landscape that's the Southbank Centre can be found a decade-old pocket park that's home to over 200 wild native plants.