This is a recently totally rebuilt garden, replacing a classic old enclosed garden with a modern open style, and gaining an underground car park in the process.

The word ‘Seething’ may originate from a medieval word ‘sifethen’ meaning ‘full of chaff’, so-called after a nearby Corn Market.

Seething Lane Gardens have a curious history, but suffice to say it was once the topic of a planning dispute, and, with a slight gap, the fine, of one red rose has been paid annually to the Lord Mayor. That’s since 1381, and the Knollys Rose ceremony still takes place each year.

In addition to the roses though, it’s famous for its association with the diarist Samuel Pepys, who lived in the same street and said he buried his exceptionally expensive Parmesan cheeses in his own back garden to protect them from the Great Fire of London.

This garden though was occupied by a building, the Navy Office where Pepys worked. That building long since lost and the site was nearly covered over in the 1910s when the Port of London Authority built its new headquarters next door — 10 Trinity Square. They however decided to create the garden space instead, in part to restore the Knollys Rose ceremony.

The garden was revamped in the 1950s into a conventional garden square, with iron railings and trees with wooden seating.

However, the redevelopment of the Trinity Square building next door saw that old garden swept away, as the site beneath it was given over to a car park, and the gardens were now a building site.

A curious black building on the south side will attract much attention and is actually quite snazzy – as it’s a  lift to get into the subterranean car park.

The introduction of basement structures and much more surface paving, in what was a largely naturally drained site, required the introduction of a new drainage system. This incorporates an attenuation layer under the garden where excessive rainfall can be held and then slowly released, to reduce the impact on the public drainage system of the peak rainfall run-off from the development.

Although I would have to say the current garden is rather pleasing, it’s of a style that’s increasingly generic – of raised beds with lots of paving, and hence not that interesting.

What does make this one stand out a bit is the paving — if you wander around, look out for engravings of images relevant to Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London. Even his Parmesan cheese is here.

Sadly, the Knollys Rose has not been immortalized in stone, but some of the plants looked distinctly rose-like, so the ceremony should resume this year.

The garden was designed by the landscape architects, Capita Symonds.

The cost of the landscaping works came in at £1.25 million, paid for by the hotel development.

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with: ,
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

4 comments
  1. Laurel says:

    Love the story of Pepys and his cheese.

  2. Valary Murphy says:

    The engraved paving stones look re-used – especially the map/plan of the area around the Thames with some buildings numbered. I assume they are linked to Pepys with the Navy Office, St Olave’s Hart Street, St Paul’s and Westminster being singled out. Were these from the previous garden?

  3. Chris H says:

    Is a bit bleak now at the lawn end and a couple more trees would have perhaps been nice. But at least there’s been a bit of effort in the planting of the raised beds and it’ll look a bit better when the pergola is covered by plants, the lift tower covered with the climbers, and when the trees have grown a bit. Meanwhile the slabs are a very nice touch – I do like the inclusion of the large bladder-stone forceps still grasping Pepys’s removed stone.

  4. Sue James says:

    No, they were carved for this garden.

Home >> News >> London's Pocket Parks