Description
Bartholomew Square is on land formerly belonging to St Bartholomew's Hospital, and replaced a square known as Old Street Square dating from c.1815. In 1894 the MPGA laid out an asphalted playground here. It has been renamed Bartholomew Square in recognition of the former connections of the site. The character of the area was all but obliterated in the 1970s by the GLC's rebuilding, which destroyed the whole pattern of the historic surroundings. Today the area is a hummocky grass patch bordered on three sides by low rise council blocks of Bartholomew Court and the St Luke's Estate. There are a few trees including horse chestnut and London plane and it is railed to Bartholomew Square.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Old Street Square |
|---|---|
| Site location | Bartholomew Square, near Old Street |
| Postcode | EC1 |
| What3Words | ///icon.loser.scale |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | appears to be unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Old Street (Northern). Bus: 43, 214, 55 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ324824 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Housing |
| Dates | c.1815; 1970s |
| 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 | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Surrounded by the austere 17-storey housing that was built for Finsbury Borough Council in 1959-60, Radnor Street Gardens were laid out on undulating ground with shrubs, paths and a playground. The garden was re-designed in 2006/7with improved play and recreation facilities, and new landscaping, and re-opened in July 2008. The inclusive playground was developed in consultation with children from Richard Cloudesley School.
St Luke's Church and Gardens are laid out on the former churchyard. The church was built in 1733 when it became a separate parish as the population in the area increased. Due to subsidence the church was largely dismantled in 1959/60 when the roof was removed and it became a picturesque ruin after initial plans to convert it fell through. It has now been restored to become the home of the London Symphony Orchestra's community and music education programme, LSO Discovery. The railings, gates and piers around the church gardens date from c.1852, set on a low brick parapet wall, and the garden onto Old Street has a few tombs remaining including the railed chest tomb of Thomas Hanby (d.1786). The area to the north of the church was laid out as a public garden in 1878, maintained by the vestry. Once a rose garden, this area was re-landscaped in 2006 with lawns, paths and a central feature with seating and raised beds.
Quaker Gardens is all that remains of the former burial ground of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, on a site once part of Bunhill Fields that the Society purchased in 1661. The land was subsequently extended and thousands of Friends were buried here including George Fox, the Founder of the Society (d.1690). A school was built here in 1840 and in the corner of the garden is what remains of the Society's Memorial Buildings, built in 1881. All but one wing of the building was demolished as a result of WWII bombing. The burial ground was closed in 1855 and in 1880 the Metropolitan Board of Works compulsorily purchased some of the land. It was eventually laid out as a recreation ground in 1965 within the GLC's Banner Street estate. In one corner is a playground and small enclosed garden of the Quakers' Horticultural Project, which runs horticultural therapy workshops. The garden has impressive mature plane trees and a few monuments. It has been substantially re-landscaped with new planting and seating in recent years.