Description
Christchurch Gardens is the former burial ground of Christ Church and was laid out as a public garden in 1885. The original church was built in 1849 to serve Battersea's growing population, but was destroyed by bombing in 1944. Christchurch and St Stephen was rebuilt on the site in 1959. The triangular garden is surrounded by hedging and has original railings; a picturesque curved brick shelter provides seating and once had a bronze plaque commemorating local civilians who died in WWII. The garden has rose beds, lawn, and trees include horse chestnut and ornamental cherry.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cabul Road/Battersea Park Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW11 |
| What3Words | ///engine.before.riots |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground: Clapham Junction. Rail: Wandsworth Town. Bus: 44, 49, 319, 344, 345 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Christchurch Gardens was laid out as a public garden in 1885 as 'an outdoors drawing room' with assistance from the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. At that time it was the responsibility of the Vestry of Battersea. With the arrival of the railway, Battersea had changed greatly during the C19th from a small village with market gardens to a densely populated town with busy wharves along the river. The original Christ Church was built in 1849 to serve the growing population, and was designed by C Lee and T T Bury. It was destroyed by direct bombing in 1944 in WWII, and the current church was rebuilt on the site in 1959. Seating was provided in the public gardens in a picturesque curved brick shelter with tiled roof and central weather vane. This formerly contained a bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of the civilian war dead of Battersea, but this was stolen in 2007 and has been replaced by a granite memorial provided by the local Co-op Funeral Parlour. The triangular garden is surrounded by hedging and original railings; it has rose beds and lawns, with clematis montana growing over part of the shelter. Trees include horse chestnut, ornamental cherry and various recently planted trees. Adjacent to the garden, the church of Christchurch and St Stephen is set within lawn, with trees and shrubs. Outside the gardens on Cabul Road is a Metropolitan Drinking Trough.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ271761 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.116 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1885 |
| 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 | Wandsworth |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes (no. 27) |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Incidental Public Open Space/Landscaped Open Space |
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
York Gardens was created in 1972 in order to provide recreational facilities for residents of new housing built in the 1960s replacing slums in areas such as Kambala Road. York Road is named for the Archbishops of York who had a palace next to the Thames at Battersea. It was also known as Pickpocket Lane. The riverside area had much industrial use with businesses such as Prices candles. York Gardens is a large enclosed area of mown amenity grass, scattered trees, rose beds and several semi-natural planted areas, visually divided by several buildings in the centre. A large circular seating area
The Latchmere Estate was built from 1903 on former commonland, which had been gradually encroached until all that remained was an area of allotments. Building over this was resisted until the early C20th when, following efforts by John Burns, MP for Battersea, an Act of Parliament was passed that allowed housing only on condition that part was laid out as a recreation ground. The estate, an early municipal housing project, was built on Garden City principles. The recreation ground became the focal point and opened in 1906. A north-south footpath divides the recreation ground, with a landscaped area with trees, shrubs and flower beds to the east, a central playground and a hard-surfaced area to the west with two fine mature willows. The perimeter has fine trees.
A church was recorded here from at least the C12th. The Manor of Battersea from the time of the Conquest had belonged to the Abbey of Westminster; the old manor house was east of the church and the main area of the village was to the south. St Mary's Church is in effect an C18th preaching box that was built in 1777 to replace an earlier building. The churchyard is surrounded by fine walls, railings and has ornate gates; it is laid out as a garden with lawns, seating, paths and some fine trees. A few historic tombs remain within the grass as well as gravestones against the boundary walls; among those buried here was William Curtis (d.1799) a well-known botanist. Other famous people associated with St Mary's include William Blake and J M W Turner.