Description
The Garden of Rest Marylebone is a small memorial garden adjacent to Marylebone Parish Church, the 4th church to serve the parish. The first was near Marble Arch but in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, replaced in 1740 by another small church, itself replaced when the current church was built to the north in 1813-17. The old church was closed in 1926, but not demolished until 1949, following WWII bomb damage. Its site is now that of the Garden of Rest, created in 1951, with the foundations of the church marked. The garden is predominantly paved with some planting and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including one to Charles Wesley erected in 1858 who had been buried here in 1788.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Marylebone Church; Old Church Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | Marylebone High Street |
| Postcode | W1U 5BA |
| What3Words | ///wedge.tight.bound |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Baker Street (Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan, Jubilee), Bond Street (Central, Jubilee). Bus: 18, 27, 30, 205, 453; 2,13,30,74,82,113,139,189,247 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The first church of the parish of Tyburn was built c.1200, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and stood near the present Marble Arch. When this was demolished in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, its site now that of the Garden of Rest at the north end of Marylebone High Street. It was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin by the Bourne, referring to the Ty bourne or stream that ran into the Thames from what is now Regent's Park. The dedication gradually became St Mary le burn, then St Marylebone. The Elizabethan philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was married there in 1606, and the interior of the church was accurately portrayed by the artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) in the marriage scene from 'The Rake's Progress' (1735). The church was replaced in 1740 with another small church on the same site. Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was then living and working in Marylebone and during his last illness he sent for the Rector of St Marylebone, Revd John Harley (of the family after whom Harley Street is named), and asked to be buried in the churchyard. He died on 29 March 1788 and his body was carried to St Marylebone Church by eight clergymen of the Church of England. A memorial stone to him stands in the gardens in the High Street, erected in 1858 close to where he was buried.
The Garden of Rest Marylebone is on the site of the old chapel, which was not closed until 1926. It suffered bomb damage in WWII and was eventually demolished in 1949. The Garden was laid out on the site in 1951, with the foundations of the old church outlined in brick. The garden is predominantly paved in York stone, with some planting, and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including that to Charles Wesley.
The Garden of Rest Marylebone is on the site of the old chapel, which was not closed until 1926. It suffered bomb damage in WWII and was eventually demolished in 1949. The Garden was laid out on the site in 1951, with the foundations of the old church outlined in brick. The garden is predominantly paved in York stone, with some planting, and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including that to Charles Wesley.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ283820 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | St Marylebone Parish Church |
| Site Management | WCC Parks Service |
| Dates | 1951 |
| Designers | L de Soissons |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Harley Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
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
Marylebone Parish Church was built here in 1813-17, the fourth church to serve the parish. St Marylebone Parish Church Grounds are on the former churchyard and consist of a cobbled circular driveway from Marylebone High Street up to the side entrance of the church. A low hedge encloses a central grass area with a mature plane tree in the centre, dominating the square. There is also level access into the site from Marylebone Road. A market, 'Cabbages and Frocks', occupies most of the cobbled driveway at the weekends. To the west of the church is a new Physic Herb and Wild Flower Garden created by children in the Young Church group, which opened in June 2010.
This is a private garden for the use of residents of York Terrace West, designed as part of John Nash's original conception for The Regent's Park, approved by the Treasury in 1811. His plan for developing the former royal hunting chase included the 400-acre park, which was to be surrounded by villas and terraces, the latter given names that reflected royal patronage. York Terrace, built 1822-3 and named for Frederick Duke of York, was designed as two groups, split by York Gate. The houses had their main entrances on the south and presented an uninterrupted façade to Regent's Park, fronted by a garden enclosure laid out with lawn, a series of planted beds along the north, perimeter path, and planting along the front and side boundaries, punctuated by entrances in the centre and at each end.
Paddington Street Gardens are on land formerly used for burials and is split into two parts by Paddington Street. The larger South Garden represents the older burial ground consecrated in 1733. The land was granted by the Earl of Oxford, one of whose conditions that a workhouse be provided, which was erected in 1750-52. By 1771 further burial space was needed and the parish bought land north of Paddington Street, now the North Garden. A larger workhouse was built to the north in 1775, on the present site of the University of Westminster. The burial ground was closed in 1814 when St John's Wood Burial Ground opened; it was laid out as a public recreation ground in 1885 and was opened in 1886 by Princess Louise. Most gravestones were removed although a fine C18th mausoleum in the south garden commemorates the wife of Richard Fitzpatrick.
