Description
Harrington Square was originally laid out as a planned development of the Duke of Bedford's estate. It consisted of two terraces overlooking a triangular garden enclosure, provided for the residents of the surrounding houses. Today only part of the east side of the C19th terrace remains, the north of which was destroyed by WWII bombing. The south terrace was demolished for new housing in the 1960s. The gardens, now public, are enclosed by railings and privet hedge, laid out with grass, flowerbeds, mature trees and some perimeter shrubbery.
Practical Information
| Site location | Hampstead Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW1 |
| What3Words | ///zealous.next.jazz |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Mornington Crescent (Northern). Bus: 24, 27, 29, 134, 168, 253. |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Harrington Square was originally part of the Duke of Bedford's estate, from which it takes its name. Under a Special Act of Parliament of 1800, which related to enclosures on the Bedford Estates (including Ampthill, Gordon, Harrington, Oakley and Tavistock Squares) the triangular garden enclosure was to be kept as open space. It was laid out c.1843, and planned in conjunction with the former segmental Mornington Crescent gardens, the latter lost in 1926 when the Carreras Tobacco Factory was built to the designs of M & O Collins, with an extravagant exterior said to have been inspired by the Egyptian temple of the cat-goddess Bubastis. After many years of decline the former factory was converted in 1998 to offices and is now Greater London House.
Harrington Square Gardens were bounded by mid C19th terraces on two sides and by Hampstead Road on the other. Only part of the east side of the original terraces now survives, a terrace of 10 houses built in 1842-48; the northern part of this terrace was destroyed by WWII bombing, now a post-war housing block, Hurdwick House. The south terrace was demolished for new housing in the 1960s.The garden was originally provided for the use of the Duke of Bedford, his heirs and assigns, and occupiers of the surrounding houses. The Harrington Square properties were, in earlier years, quite opulent houses and the census records show that fairly wealthy families with assorted servants lived there. A Committee of inhabitants, appointed under the Metropolis Management Act of 1855 maintained the garden out of rates levied by St Pancras Borough Council, the Act of 1800 also specifying that the rate was limited to 1s in the £ on the rateable value. The OS map of 1875 shows a perimeter path and planting, and a central circular feature. Now open to the public and maintained by Camden Council, the gardens are enclosed by railings and privet hedge, laid out with grass, flowerbeds including a central circular bed, mature trees and some perimeter shrubbery. One tree within the garden was the 2000th planted for LB Camden's Millennium Tree Planting scheme.
Harrington Square Gardens were bounded by mid C19th terraces on two sides and by Hampstead Road on the other. Only part of the east side of the original terraces now survives, a terrace of 10 houses built in 1842-48; the northern part of this terrace was destroyed by WWII bombing, now a post-war housing block, Hurdwick House. The south terrace was demolished for new housing in the 1960s.The garden was originally provided for the use of the Duke of Bedford, his heirs and assigns, and occupiers of the surrounding houses. The Harrington Square properties were, in earlier years, quite opulent houses and the census records show that fairly wealthy families with assorted servants lived there. A Committee of inhabitants, appointed under the Metropolis Management Act of 1855 maintained the garden out of rates levied by St Pancras Borough Council, the Act of 1800 also specifying that the rate was limited to 1s in the £ on the rateable value. The OS map of 1875 shows a perimeter path and planting, and a central circular feature. Now open to the public and maintained by Camden Council, the gardens are enclosed by railings and privet hedge, laid out with grass, flowerbeds including a central circular bed, mature trees and some perimeter shrubbery. One tree within the garden was the 2000th planted for LB Camden's Millennium Tree Planting scheme.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ291832 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.4749 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Parks & Open Spaces |
| Dates | c.1843 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 15-24 Harrington Square and railings |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Camden Town |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local). Strategic View Corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Ampthill Estate is on the site of Ampthill Square, a garden square laid out in 1800 as a development of terraced houses around a crescent-shaped garden. Crossed by railway tracks from Euston by the end of the C19th, in 1912 part of the land and houses were purchased by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company. The garden was then divided into two enclosures, one maintained for local residents of the square. Little remains of the original square today and the re-landscaped area is now overlooked by C20th tower blocks, although some mature trees from the earlier landscaping survive.
Oakley Square is named after Oakley House, a seat of land-owner the Duke of Bedford. The garden was laid out c1845, planned in conjunction with terraces that survive only along its northern side. The well-planted garden had serpentine paths, two circular areas at either end of a central path running north-east to south-west, and was originally for the use of the Duke, his heirs and assigns, and those living in the square. It is now open to the public, and was relandscaped in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The market was originally planned by John Nash in the 1820s as a third market for hay to serve Regent's Park. In 1834 it was known as Regent's Park Haymarket, and the modern plan preserves the outlines of this layout. It was established close to the Cumberland Basin, which was fed by an arm of Regent's Canal but eventually infilled in 1942/3. Cumberland Market Playground opened to the public in 1923. The market closed in 1926; an ice-house beneath was filled in during the 1930s. Now overlooked by modern low-rise council blocks and the Crown Estate's Windsor House, the gardens have been refurbished and part of the cobbled surfaces of the former market restored.
