Description
Cleveland Gardens was laid out in c.1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The garden was entirely refurbished in 2006, the work undertaken by the Residents' Association with the help of grants from EH and WCC. The scheme reinstated traditional Victorian railings to replace the old chain link fencing, paths were reformed and edged, and the garden was replanted. 3 notable London plane trees remain from the earlier garden. A condition of the grant aid was that the garden had to open to the public on 21 days a year.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cleveland Gardens, Bayswater |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 6HA |
| What3Words | ///discrepancy.lend.scan |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Opens to the public 21 days p.a. and has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, keyholders only |
| Public Transport | Tube: Lancaster Gate (Central), Bayswater (District, Circle), Paddington (District, Circle, Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City). Bus: 7,23,27,36,46,159,205,332,436 + 70, 94, 148,274,390 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Land to the north of Hyde Park was for centuries farmland owned by the Church of England, the area known as Tyburnia after the river Tyburn that flows underground. It was at Tyburn Gallows at Marble Arch that public executions were held until 1783. The development of the Bishop of London's large Paddington Estate began after that, with an early masterplan drawn up by Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1754-1827), the estate surveyor, possibly begun in 1805 although little was built until the 1820s. Cockerell was succeeded as estate surveyor by George Gutch (c.1790-1874), who modified and intensified the layout, and drew up his 'Final Plan of Tyburnia' in 1838.
The Bayswater area was developed by a number of different speculators, although some of the earlier field boundaries, footpaths and tracks from the previous land use can still be traced. A roughly triangular area between Bayswater Road with Cleveland Gardens at the apex was developed by Henry de Bruno Austin. Cleveland Gardens is the small sister garden to Cleveland Square (q.v.), which is located 75m to the south. Cleveland Square or Court was the name given to the courtyard in front of Cleveland House.
In 1928 the garden of Cleveland Gardens, still owned by the Paddington Estate Trustees, was for the use of residents of adjoining houses and managed by a Committee of occupants. The expenses of maintenance were assessed proportionately on each house, although the Trustees had the power to undertake maintenance in cases of neglect. It was described in 1928 as 'an oblong enclosure attractively laid out as a lawn, with flower beds and a few trees. Overlooked by dwelling-houses'.
The Bayswater area was developed by a number of different speculators, although some of the earlier field boundaries, footpaths and tracks from the previous land use can still be traced. A roughly triangular area between Bayswater Road with Cleveland Gardens at the apex was developed by Henry de Bruno Austin. Cleveland Gardens is the small sister garden to Cleveland Square (q.v.), which is located 75m to the south. Cleveland Square or Court was the name given to the courtyard in front of Cleveland House.
In 1928 the garden of Cleveland Gardens, still owned by the Paddington Estate Trustees, was for the use of residents of adjoining houses and managed by a Committee of occupants. The expenses of maintenance were assessed proportionately on each house, although the Trustees had the power to undertake maintenance in cases of neglect. It was described in 1928 as 'an oblong enclosure attractively laid out as a lawn, with flower beds and a few trees. Overlooked by dwelling-houses'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ261811 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Cleveland Square and Gardens Residents' Association |
| Site Management | Cleveland Square and Gardens Residents' Association Garden Committee, contracted to The Plant Specialist |
| Dates | c1855 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 1 - 8; 25 - 29 Cleveland Gardens |
| 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 | Bayswater |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Cleveland Square was laid out in 1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The stucco-fronted houses overlook the private garden provided for the residents. The present garden has play areas, bedding, a privet hedge, and fine London plane trees as well as mature plum and cherry trees. A serpentine path through the garden has Victorian edging tiles, a remnant of the original geometrical pattern shown on the OS Map of 1872. The railings are post-1960 with the entrance on the south side. A plaque commemorates a barrage balloon moored in the garden in WWII. A Jubilee Bed was planted in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The Hallfield Estate was one of the first housing estates to be built in Westminster after WWII and was intended as a radical model for Paddington's post-war re-housing programme. The housing estate and Hallfield School were laid out on an area that had suffered severe bomb damage, where there had previously been C19th houses, including some detached villas with large gardens and the estate incorporated some mature trees from the former gardens. The blocks of flats are separated by wide greens, with flower beds near the housing and the landscaping included mounding, flowering shrubs, a hedged garden, and rose beds, and the school is set in landscaped grounds. The estate incorporated some mature trees from the former gardens, including fine London planes, horse chestnut, sycamore, ash, mulberry, magnolias and catalpa.
Queen's Gardens were laid out as three narrow garden enclosures for the private use of occupiers of the surrounding mid C19th houses, and owned by the freeholders of those houses. By 1928 a Garden Committee was established, its members appointed annually at a meeting of the residents, at which time the garden rate for the coming year was also agreed. However it appears that many of the owners did not honour this commitment and 'heavy arrears' were due to the extent that the Committee was considering making payment for upkeep of the garden compulsory. At that time the enclosures were described as 'surrounded by a hedge and laid out with lawns and flower beds'. The long narrow garden, with terraces to north and south, is still in three parts as shown on the 1872 OS Map. It is surrounded by railings and has simple arches over the gates. There are a number of notable lime and plane trees, and oval shrub beds.
