Description
Ampthill Estate is on the site of Ampthill Square, a garden square laid out in 1800 as a development of terraced houses around a crescent-shaped garden. Crossed by railway tracks from Euston by the end of the C19th, in 1912 part of the land and houses were purchased by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company. The garden was then divided into two enclosures, one maintained for local residents of the square. Little remains of the original square today and the re-landscaped area is now overlooked by C20th tower blocks, although some mature trees from the earlier landscaping survive.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Ampthill Square |
|---|---|
| Site location | Hampstead Road |
| Postcode | NW1 |
| What3Words | ///bars.link.search |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Children's playground |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (Northern/Victoria): Euston. Tube: Mornington Crescent (Northern). Bus: 24, 27, 29, 134, 135, 168, 253 |
| Research Updated | 1 August 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ampthill Square was laid out in 1800 as a development of terraced houses around a crescent shaped garden; it appears on the O.S. map of 1894 traversed by railway tracks from the adjacent Euston terminus which occupy 1/3 of its area, the northern section laid out with trees and serpentine walks. The site of the original square is subsumed within C20th landscaping. The land was purchased together with surrounding houses by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company in 1912, when further encroachments were made. A portion was used for the railway extension, and the crescent shaped garden was divided into two enclosures, the smallest maintained as a shrubbery, the other 'a well-kept and attractive garden', which was accessible to the Railway Co. and leaseholders of houses in the Square. It was maintained by a committee of inhabitants appointed under the Metropolis Management Act of 1855 through rates levied by St Pancras Borough Council, which by an Act of 1804 were not to exceed one shilling in the £ on the rateable value. The leases of the houses expired in 1934 and the landscaping that remains is now a small unlevel grassy site overlooked by three Council-owned tower blocks on the north and east which it serves as a garden, and bounded by the railway to the south. Some mature trees from the earlier landscaping survive, including London plane and lime. Some improvements have been carried out with paths and decorative wooden fencing and a large playground. A few areas of bedding are planted between the blocks. In 2005 work began on a £19m regeneration project to the buildings, to include some re-landscaping works.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ292831 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.8559 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Housing Dept. |
| Dates | 1800; C20th |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local). Site of square protected under London Squares Preservation Act of 1931 |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Harrington Square was originally laid out as a planned development of the Duke of Bedford's estate. It consisted of two terraces overlooking a triangular garden enclosure, provided for the residents of the surrounding houses. Today only part of the east side of the C19th terrace remains, the north of which was destroyed by WWII bombing. The south terrace was demolished for new housing in the 1960s. The gardens, now public, are enclosed by railings and privet hedge, laid out with grass, flowerbeds, mature trees and some perimeter shrubbery.
Oakley Square is named after Oakley House, a seat of land-owner the Duke of Bedford. The garden was laid out c1845, planned in conjunction with terraces that survive only along its northern side. The well-planted garden had serpentine paths, two circular areas at either end of a central path running north-east to south-west, and was originally for the use of the Duke, his heirs and assigns, and those living in the square. It is now open to the public, and was relandscaped in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
St James's Gardens closed in 2017, its site taken for the construction works of the new HS2 Euston Station. Following an Act of Parliament, the site was originally purchased in 1788 as an additional burial ground for St James Piccadilly. Encroached upon by the railway to the east, it was laid out as a public garden by the St Pancras Vestry in 1887, and the headstones mostly cleared to the boundaries. St James's Gardens were re-landscaped in the 1980s by Camden Council, a rectangular site with grass, rose beds and a few mature trees, a playground area and an extensive semi-circular pergola. When the gardens were finally closed, extensive archaeological works were undertaken.
