Description
Blackfriars Bridge Garden was referred to as a public garden maintained by the Corporation of London by the 1920s. The current landscaping dates from the 1960s when Blackfriars Underpass was opened and adopted as public open space under the Blackfriars Bridgehead Act. This consists of publicly accessibly landscaped strip along the river by the pedestrian underpass, as well as areas of grass and flowerbeds at the bridgehead that are essentially traffic islands, a pleasant contrast from the busy road. Near the Underpass is a commemorative stone.
Practical Information
| Site location | Blackfriars Bridge/Queen Victoria Street/Victoria Embankment |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC4Y 0DH |
| What3Words | ///jump.mental.unless |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | riverside area unrestricted; traffic island landscaping visible but not accessible |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | Tube: Blackfriars (District, Circle). Rail: Blackfriars |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2001 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The gardens of Blackfriars Underpass were opened in the 1960s at a ceremony attended by Mrs Barbara Castle and Lady Bellinger.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ315808 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | City of London Corporation |
| Site Management | Transport for London |
| Dates | early C20th;1960s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Blackfriars Bridge; drinking fountain |
| 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 | No |
| Local Authority | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area/St Paul's Heights Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Viewing Corridor; Monument Views and Setting |
Gallery
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
The Society of Apothecaries, originally a member of the Grocers' Society, gained its own charter in 1617. In 1632 it purchased Cobham House, once the guesthouse of the Dominican Priory of Black Friars. The external appearance of the Hall today is much like that of the late C18th, surrounding a central paved courtyard. The Society established a pharmaceutical laboratory on the ground floor of its Hall in 1671, the first large-scale drug manufacturing operation. In 1673 it founded the Chelsea Physic Garden, which it managed until 1899. The property was expanded in the 1780s as these operations developed; new west and south ranges were added to the courtyard, now entered through an archway. A retail pharmacy on the north side had a separate entrance on the street in 1823 but in 1922 the Society sold its pharmaceutical business. The colonnade in the courtyard was enclosed in 1929 and in 1967 it was repaved for the 350th anniversary of the Society's Charter.
The church is dedicated to the C5th Irish St Bride or Bridget and has existed here for some 1500 years, possibly the first place in London where Christianity was practiced. The old church was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 and the current building is the eighth on the site, rebuilt by Wren by 1680. Its spire, once higher, was completed in 1703, the highest of Wren's steeples and apparently the inspiration for the first tiered wedding cake. It is known as the Printers Cathedral or Journalists Church after the first printing press with moveable type was brought here in 1500. Many famous people are connected with the church including John Milton, Samuel Pepys, Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens. On the north side of the church the raised railed churchyard has a number of mature trees, areas of paving and seats, with gravestones set into the ground.
Salisbury Square is on the site of the former forecourt of the large house of the Bishops of Salisbury, who had acquired the site in c.1200. In 1564 it was acquired by the Sackville family, later given the title the Earls of Dorset after whom nearby Dorset Rise is named. Although the square has some C18th housing, it was predominantly redeveloped from the 1960s onwards. The central area was laid out formally and is surrounded by cobbled roadway. It provides seating within a paved garden that has a raised bed at each corner planted with shrubs and small trees. In the centre is a granite obelisk that commemorates Robert Waithman, Lord Mayor of London in 1823-24. This was erected in Salisbury Square in the mid 1970s, but had originally been located in Farringdon Street.
