Description
Dovehouse Green is a former burial ground for Chelsea parish church on land given by Sir Hans Sloane in 1733. It was closed for burials by 1882, and became a garden for inmates of the adjacent workhouse. Following war damage it was developed as a garden, with a small part open to the public. It was named Dovehouse Green in 1977 when it was re-landscaped for the Silver Jubilee and laid out with cruciform paths, an obelisk and seating. Some tombstones remain on the perimeter. In 2003 it was refurbished for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and re-opened on 12 June 2003.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | King's Road Burial Ground; Old Burial Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | King's Road/Dovehouse Street |
| Postcode | SW3 |
| What3Words | ///memo.wipe.grid |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | Tube: Sloane Square, (District, Circle), South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly) |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land for the King's Road burial ground to serve Chelsea Parish Church of St Luke's (Chelsea Old Church q.v.) was originally given to the parish in 1733 by Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753). Sloane had purchased the former Chelsea Manor House (once owned by Henry VIII) in 1712 from William Lord Cheyne, but did not live there until 1742; he was responsible for development along the riverside from c.1717. The burial ground was consecrated in 1736 and later enlarged in 1790. It became known as the Old Burial Ground after provision for parish burials was supplemented in 1813 by the opening of a new burial ground, now the site of St Luke's Church and Gardens (q.v.). Among those buried here were Italian painter and engraver Giovanni Battista Cipriani (d.1785), and botanist John Martyn (d.1768), best known for his 'Historia Plantarum Rariorum' (1728-37) and who practiced as a physician in Chelsea. By the 1880s the King's Road burial ground was in a poor state; in 1882 a mortuary was constructed here and the remaining ground was laid out as a garden for the recreational use of the inmates of the adjoining workhouse, and fragments of an old chapel and graveyard were found. This represents an early example of the change of use from a burial ground to a garden.
After war damage in WWII, a scheme of 1947-50 developed the garden, with a small part opened to the public, at which time most of the gravestones were removed and the mortuary demolished. In 1977 it was renamed Dovehouse Green when it was re-landscaped for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, at the instigation of the Chelsea Society, which was also celebrating its Golden Jubilee that year. The landscaping included cruciform paths, areas of grass but largely paved to King's Road; it contained an obelisk, some tombstones on the perimeter and seating. In 2003 it was again refurbished for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and now has Victorian-style lighting columns and lanterns, York stone paths and traditional park benches. The refurbishment project was again suggested by the Chelsea Society and supported by the Rector of St Luke's and Christ Church. The work was carried out by RBKC with funding from the Golden Jubilee Celebrations; it was re-opened on 12 June 2003 at a ceremony officiated by the Mayor and other local dignitaries. There are good displays of daffodils in the spring and the garden provides a quiet area to sit among trees and shrubs. In the north corner is the entrance to Chelsea Farmers Market.
After war damage in WWII, a scheme of 1947-50 developed the garden, with a small part opened to the public, at which time most of the gravestones were removed and the mortuary demolished. In 1977 it was renamed Dovehouse Green when it was re-landscaped for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, at the instigation of the Chelsea Society, which was also celebrating its Golden Jubilee that year. The landscaping included cruciform paths, areas of grass but largely paved to King's Road; it contained an obelisk, some tombstones on the perimeter and seating. In 2003 it was again refurbished for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and now has Victorian-style lighting columns and lanterns, York stone paths and traditional park benches. The refurbishment project was again suggested by the Chelsea Society and supported by the Rector of St Luke's and Christ Church. The work was carried out by RBKC with funding from the Golden Jubilee Celebrations; it was re-opened on 12 June 2003 at a ceremony officiated by the Mayor and other local dignitaries. There are good displays of daffodils in the spring and the garden provides a quiet area to sit among trees and shrubs. In the north corner is the entrance to Chelsea Farmers Market.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ271781 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.4983 |
| Site Ownership | RB Kensington & Chelsea |
| Site Management | Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1733-6; 1880s; 1947-50; 1977; 2003 |
| 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 | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Cheyne |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Rail Safeguarding Area |
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
This is one of a series of squares lined by listed terraces along the King's Road developed by the Cadogan Estate. The private communal garden was provided for the use of lessees of adjoining and nearby houses; although the houses were not completed until 1867 it appears that the garden was the first element to be laid out in 1836. At one time within the Manor of Chelsea, land in the area was purchased by Sir Hans Sloane in 1712; on his death his estate was divided between his two daughters, the eastern part going to Elizabeth, becoming the Cadogan Estate on her marriage to Charles Cadogan. With architect Henry Holland, Cadogan began developing the 90-acre estate from the 1770s, to be called Hans Town. The garden has reinstated cast iron railings, and is laid out with grass, shrubs and trees, and a central feature. Formerly known as Oakley Square, its name was changed in 1875 in honour of the philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who lived in Chelsea.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Public gardens that were formerly the churchyard of St Luke's Church, built as the new Chelsea parish church in 1820-24. An area to the south had been used as a graveyard from 1813. After the burial ground was closed, the site was acquired from the Chelsea Vestry in 1887 and laid out as a public garden, designed by the Borough Surveyor with plants supplied by Messrs. Veitch. The garden had paths, lawns, island beds and fine trees, with gravestones along north and south walls. To the north of the church is a small recreation ground.
Public gardens that were formerly the churchyard of St Luke's Church, built as the new Chelsea parish church in 1820-24. An area to the south had been used as a graveyard from 1813. After the burial ground was closed, the site was acquired from the Chelsea Vestry in 1887 and laid out as a public garden, designed by the Borough Surveyor with plants supplied by Messrs. Veitch. The garden had paths, lawns, island beds and fine trees, with gravestones along north and south walls. To the north of the church is a small recreation ground.
Chelsea Square is a private square that was laid out from 1810 as Trafalgar Square, although building proceeded slowly and was never completed around the central garden. In the early C20th the garden was leased to a tennis club. Renamed Chelsea Square, the south and eastern sides were rebuilt in the 1930s in neo-Georgian style. Along South Parade a line of mature trees set on a stepped plinth may survive from the former Trafalgar Gardens. The gardens today have lawn, shrubberies to railings, trees and flower beds.