Description
Cavendish Square was the first part of the development of this part of Marylebone, undertaken by Edward Harley, the second Earl of Oxford. The central circular area contained grass, on which sheep once grazed, but it was laid out as a garden by Charles Bridgeman in 1717. It was originally provided for the private use of occupants of Cavendish Square but was opened to the public in the C20th.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cavendish Square, Marylebone |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W1 |
| What3Words | ///maple.tiles.fish |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo, Victoria) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The name of Cavendish Square comes from the Earl's wife Henrietta Cavendish-Hollace. It was laid out by the Earl's surveyor John Prince in 1717, and is subject to an Act of Parliament of 1795. The Horwood Map of 1819 shows a circular outer path, linking elliptical paths, as at present, and the axis to Hanover Square (q.v.). Until the late C19th the garden contained a statue of the Duke of Cumberland, who had defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden. Now open to the public, the garden was originally reserved for the use of rated inhabitants of houses in Cavendish Square. In 1928, although owned by Lord Howard de Walden, the communal garden was managed and maintained by a Committee of inhabitants appointed under the Metropolis Management Act of 1855 out of rates levied by St Marylebone Borough Council on the occupants of the surrounding houses. It was described at that time as a circular enclosure surrounded by privet hedge and thick shrubbery 'laid out as an ornamental garden with well-kept lawns, flower beds and shrubs' and with 'some fine trees'. Construction of an underground car park in 1970 resulted in new railings and walls being placed around the centre of the square; construction also involved felling trees at the corners of the square, which was re-landscaped by Michael Brown. The bronze statue of Lord George Bentinck at the south end of the square garden is by Thomas Campbell, 1851.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ288813 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.632 |
| Site Ownership | Westminster City Council |
| Site Management | Parks Service (contractor: Continental Landscapes Ltd) |
| Dates | 1717, 1970 |
| Designers | Charles Bridgeman (C18th), Michael Brown (1970s) |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Nos. 3, 11, 14 including bridge, 18. LBII: Nos. 1, 1A, 4, 5 & 7 with attached railings, 15, 16, 17 & 20; statue of Lord Bentinck. |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Harley Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | London Square |
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
Hanover Square was laid out from c.1715 and named after George I, who was also Elector of Hanover, Germany. By the 1750s the central garden enclosure had paths in the shape of a cross with diagonals, replaced some time before 1787 with a circular perimeter path bordered by trees. After WWII it was re-landscaped with diagonal paths and a pond with a fountain near the north end. The statue of William Pitt the Younger has stood at the southern end of the square since 1831. The gardens had previously been for the private use of occupiers of the square, and owned by Hanover Square Garden Committee. They were purchased by Westminster City Council in 1997 to prevent them from becoming derelict.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Manchester Square was built in the late C18th on what was then the outskirts of the City. The land had been owned by the Portman family since the C16th. Almost circular in plan, the garden is overlooked by Hertford House to the north, which was built as Manchester House in 1777 by the 4th Duke of Manchester from whom the square gets its name. The garden layout today is little changed from its late C18th layout. Railings surround mixed shrubbery with a circular path enclosing the central lawn, and there are a number of notable mature plane and lime trees. Major replanting of the garden took place in 2006-08.
Manchester Square was built in the late C18th on what was then the outskirts of the City. The land had been owned by the Portman family since the C16th. Almost circular in plan, the garden is overlooked by Hertford House to the north, which was built as Manchester House in 1777 by the 4th Duke of Manchester from whom the square gets its name. The garden layout today is little changed from its late C18th layout. Railings surround mixed shrubbery with a circular path enclosing the central lawn, and there are a number of notable mature plane and lime trees. Major replanting of the garden took place in 2006-08.
Brown Hart Garden was originally designed in 1903 by C. Stanley Peach as an Italian Garden above the new electricity substation he designed for Westminster Electricity Supply Company. It replaced an earlier communal garden of 1889 that had been provided for residents of the surrounding model housing built for the working classes. By the 1980s the terrace garden was neglected and was eventually closed by the then tenant, EDF. In 2007 after 20 years of closure the garden re-opened as a public space and major renovation was completed by 2013. Situated on a terrace above Duke Street electricity substation, it has been described as the Mayfair Estates’ fullest flight of Edwardian Baroque.
