Description
Goldsmith's Square is on land acquired by the LCC who built two blocks of working-class housing here in 1894/95, largely for the people who were displaced when the Boundary Estate in Shoreditch was being built. The central open space was initially laid out as a children's playground. It was re-landscaped in the 1980s when a sports court was provided, surrounded by planting, a series of pergolas, seating areas, raised brick planters as well as a small railed garden area with lawn, shrubs and seating.
Practical Information
| Site location | Goldsmith's Row/Teale Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E8 |
| What3Words | ///author.return.roses |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Sports court |
| Public Transport | Rail: Cambridge Heath. Bus: 26, 48, 55 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Goldsmith's Square is on part of an irregular shaped piece of land acquired by the London County Council for £4,877 on which in 1894/95 two blocks of working-class housing were built, largely for the people who were displaced when the Boundary Estate (Boundary Gardens q.v.) was being built. C C Winmill was probably the designer of the 2-storey blocks of flats and houses, which are constructed of red and yellow bricks with purple-brown panels around the entrances. The more recent LCC housing blocks nearby are of poor design in comparison.
The open space in the middle was laid out as a garden in 1893, designed by Fanny Wilkinson, landscape gardener of the MPGA, for whom she designed over 75 public gardens in London, many of them disused burial grounds. She incorporated gymnastic equipment in the garden that had been donated for local children. In 1928 it was described in the Royal Commission on London Squares Report as 'invaluable for the purpose for which it is used'. At that time it was flanked by the rear of buildings on three sides and on the fourth by the roadway and nine small tenement houses. There are a variety of trees on the site, a number of which are mature, presumably dating from the original layout.
The garden was re-landscaped in the (1980s?) by Freeform Arts Trust to provided sports facilities, surrounded by planting, a series of pergolas, seating areas, raised brick planters as well as to one side a railed-off small garden area with lawn, shrubs and seating, surrounded by decorative railings. Adjacent to the site an Under 5's play area was provided, with mosaics on the exterior wall of the community building. Nearby are 3 early-mid C19th gun posts, 2 at the end of the roadway to the east and a third at narrowing of the road to the south, with 'S.L.S' inscribed on the plinth.
The open space in the middle was laid out as a garden in 1893, designed by Fanny Wilkinson, landscape gardener of the MPGA, for whom she designed over 75 public gardens in London, many of them disused burial grounds. She incorporated gymnastic equipment in the garden that had been donated for local children. In 1928 it was described in the Royal Commission on London Squares Report as 'invaluable for the purpose for which it is used'. At that time it was flanked by the rear of buildings on three sides and on the fourth by the roadway and nine small tenement houses. There are a variety of trees on the site, a number of which are mature, presumably dating from the original layout.
The garden was re-landscaped in the (1980s?) by Freeform Arts Trust to provided sports facilities, surrounded by planting, a series of pergolas, seating areas, raised brick planters as well as to one side a railed-off small garden area with lawn, shrubs and seating, surrounded by decorative railings. Adjacent to the site an Under 5's play area was provided, with mosaics on the exterior wall of the community building. Nearby are 3 early-mid C19th gun posts, 2 at the end of the roadway to the east and a third at narrowing of the road to the south, with 'S.L.S' inscribed on the plinth.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ343834 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.324 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Hackney Parks Service |
| Dates | 1893; c.1980s |
| Designers | 1893: MPGA (Fanny Wilkinson); 1980s: Freeform Arts Trust |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 3 gunposts |
| 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 | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| 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
The northern part of Haggerston Park was the site of the Imperial Gas Company from 1823, later becoming the Gas Light and Coke Co, which was destroyed in WWII bombing. It was laid out as a park in 1956 by the LCC with ornamental gardens, a raised bowling green, a birch grove on the infilled basin site, and a long pergola walk on the north side. In the 1980s the park was extended to the south to include Hackney City farm, children's playground and playing fields.
St Peter's Church, built in 1840-41 and designed by Lewis Vulliamy, was originally the centre of a square of terraced houses, now surrounded by modern flats. The church building was considerably refurbished from 1905 onwards under the then vicar Revd W H Maynard. The churchyard, closed to burial, was laid out as a public garden under the auspices of the Kyrle Society in 1883/84 and is surrounded by iron railings with hedging and has a number of mature plane trees.
Ion Square Gardens is on the former site of Ion Square built in c.1845, which had terraced cottages on three sides facing a central communal garden. In 1886 the Kyrle Society approached the Vestry of St Matthew's with a view to opening the garden to the public. As a result it was leased in 1894 by the MPGA for a peppercorn rent, laid out and opened in 1895. In 1928 responsibility for the garden passed to Bethnal Green Borough Council. Most of the square's houses were destroyed in WWII bombing and in the 1960s the wider area was landscaped, although the site of the original garden remains demarcated.
