Description
Addington Square was probably named after Henry Addington, Prime Minister from 1801-1804. The houses were built on three sides around a private communal garden, the northern side once occupied by a commercial swimming bath, which later became the site of King George's Field, now within Burgess Park. The King George's Fields Foundation provided a grant of £1,000 to Camberwell Borough Council for the 1.25 acre site. The garden had been restored as a public amenity in 1897 and it is largely lawn with floral displays, and trees including mature planes.
Practical Information
| Site location | Addington Square |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE5 |
| What3Words | ///each.juices.tools |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - sunset |
| Events | Has participated in OGSW |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Elephant & Castle (Northern, Bakerloo) then bus. Bus: 12, 35, 40, 42, 45, 68, 171, 176, 436, 468. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Addington Square was completed by 1855, with a number of the houses dating from c.1810. The commercial swimming bath on the north side became the site of the local authority refuse depot with access to Surrey Canal. This in turn became King George's Field in c.1938, created through the King George's Fields Foundation, now part of Burgess Park (q.v.). In 1897 a successful campaign saved the formerly private square gardens from development, having become derelict, and they were renovated for public use and opened to the public in 1897; 6 seats were donated by MPGA in 1898. This represents one of the first open spaces rescued under the Gardens in Town Act. In WWII Addington Square's railings were removed for recycling as scrap metal and air raid shelters were built under the gardens.
In the early 1970s plans for Burgess Park included a proposal to demolish the houses of Addington Square, but this was successfully fought by the Camberwell Society. The GLC restored the garden railings with replicas in 1975 as part of European Architectural Heritage Year. Today the garden is largely lawn with a number of floral displays, and trees including mature planes. A sculpture by Hamish Horsley, Constellation II, has been installed in the gardens.
In the early 1970s plans for Burgess Park included a proposal to demolish the houses of Addington Square, but this was successfully fought by the Camberwell Society. The GLC restored the garden railings with replicas in 1975 as part of European Architectural Heritage Year. Today the garden is largely lawn with a number of floral displays, and trees including mature planes. A sculpture by Hamish Horsley, Constellation II, has been installed in the gardens.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ325775 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.181 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks |
| Dates | 1855; 1897 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 7 & 8; 9 & 10 &11; 13-16; 17-20; 33-37; 38-48; 47 & 48 and attached railings |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Addington Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | With Burgess Park: Major Park, Tier One/London Squares Preservation Act. Community Facilities Site |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Previously a WWII bomb site, there were prefabs here until the building of the Elmington Estate began in 1956. In 1982 a nature garden was established here by Southwark Council, Friends of the Earth and London Wildlife Trust, but later fell into disrepair. It re-opened in June 2015 with landscaping designed by London Wildlife Trust, implemented by The Conservation Volunteers. In 2013 Froglife installed the pond with dipping platform. On the wall of the adjacent Brunswick Park School is the Pied Piper Mural by Willi Soukop from 1956 originally installed on the Elmington Estate but moved in May 2014. A Strawberry Tree has been planted in the garden in memory of the victims of the nearby Lakanal House fire in 2009. Designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation there are a number of habitat areas including: a pond with dipping platform, native hedgerow, wildflower meadow, mini beast zone, sensory and ornamental beds.
Walworth Allotment Association was set up in the 1970s. The site had once been occupied by terraced housing along Olney Street, as marked on the OS map of 1896, and later had industrial usage. Local residents transformed the site into allotments where they could grow their own fruit and vegetables close to home. There are now 16-20 allotment plots and also a wildlife area, pond and beehives.
St Peter's Church, designed by Sir John Soane, was built in 1823-25 and its churchyard was in use until 1853. In 1895 at the instigation of the parish priest, Father Horsley, it was cleared of graves and converted as a public garden for the parishioners. It was laid out by the MPGA with grass and seats, the headstones largely placed around the edge of the garden. Father Horsley also established a small zoo on the rectory garden, nicknamed the Monkey Park, which was landscaped as a community garden with the participation of the local community, a new bench sculpture unveiled in 2005.
