Description
Holy Trinity Church was built to form the focus of planned residential development around Rhondda Grove of c.1840, formerly Cottage Grove. Although initially built as a chapel, it came to serve the parish of Mile End Old Town in 1841. Its well-preserved churchyard, which closed to burial in 1853, was refurbished in 1886/7 as Holy Trinity Garden by the MPGA. Numerous headstones remain in their original positions with clear inscriptions. The garden has C20th railings set in original Portland stone coping on a parapet wall and there are notable lime trees on the south side of the garden.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | New Church of the Covenant; Holy Trinity Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | Morgan Street/Lichfield Road, Bow |
| Postcode | E3 5AT |
| What3Words | ///simple.successes.moved |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | appears unrestricted access but to check current situation |
| Public Transport | Tube: Mile End (District/Central). Bus 25 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Holy Trinity Church was built in 1834-9 to designs of Daniel and James Austin, the site donated by Sir Charles Morgan of Tredegar, who developed Tredegar Square (q.v.), whose family owned much of the land in this area that was the estate of the C18th Essex House. Mile End Old Town had grown up further to the west but gradually expanded eastwards as a result of the development of the docks, leading to construction of Commercial Road and Limehouse Cut. The fields began to be built over for housing from the 1820s; Sir Charles was permitted to build on his land following an Act of Parliament of 1824. By the 1830s there were villas in Rhondda Grove, houses on the eastern part of Morgan Street, on the west side of Aberavon Road and part of Tredegar Square had been completed. In 1847 a Grammar School next to the church was built to serve the new residential population, later replaced by Cooper Company Boys' School in 1909 and now Central Foundation School.
Holy Trinity Church was initially planned as a proprietary chapel, the building costs covered by lawyer E A Dickenson. He ran out of funds in 1836 and it was finally completed by the Metropolis Churches Fund, and became the parish church for Mile End Old Town. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1853 but among those buried here were people connected with shipping and seafaring. One of the more elaborate monuments remaining is that of Eleanor Souttar (d.1839) with a broken column on the north and a draped urn on the south. The MPGA acquired the disused burial ground in 1887 and the new garden was opened by Princess Henry of Battenberg on 9 May 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Maintenance of the garden was the responsibility of the LCC.
Holy Trinity Church was damaged in WWII and later became redundant, closing in 1984 and suffering vandalism. The garden also became much overgrown and was no longer publicly accessible. In 1996 the New Testament Church of God took over the church, which was repaired in 2001-2, and the churchyard has also been cleared since that time. The NTCG now uses the Church Hall of 1901 on Lichfield Street.
Holy Trinity Church was initially planned as a proprietary chapel, the building costs covered by lawyer E A Dickenson. He ran out of funds in 1836 and it was finally completed by the Metropolis Churches Fund, and became the parish church for Mile End Old Town. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1853 but among those buried here were people connected with shipping and seafaring. One of the more elaborate monuments remaining is that of Eleanor Souttar (d.1839) with a broken column on the north and a draped urn on the south. The MPGA acquired the disused burial ground in 1887 and the new garden was opened by Princess Henry of Battenberg on 9 May 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Maintenance of the garden was the responsibility of the LCC.
Holy Trinity Church was damaged in WWII and later became redundant, closing in 1984 and suffering vandalism. The garden also became much overgrown and was no longer publicly accessible. In 1996 the New Testament Church of God took over the church, which was repaired in 2001-2, and the churchyard has also been cleared since that time. The NTCG now uses the Church Hall of 1901 on Lichfield Street.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ364828 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.3 |
| Site Ownership | New Testament Church of God |
| Dates | 1830s; 1886/7 |
| Designers | MPGA (Fanny Wilkinson) |
| Listed Structures | LBC: Holy Trinity Church |
| 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 | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Tredegar Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| 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
Tredegar Square was laid out from 1828 with houses designed for prosperous merchants. It is named after Sir Charles Morgan of Tredegar who owned land at Mile End. At least two, and possibly all four sides of the square were built by William Miller, who sought to emulate John Nash. In 1888 the central garden comprised a simple rectilinear system of paths, but it was later re-landscaped as a large central circle intersected by four auriculate lobes with a central hard paved area.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Spanish and Portuguese Jews' New Burial Ground opened 1733, and was extended eastwards in 1855 and eventually closed for burial in 1888. Parts of the wall have been lowered but the western boundary wall was built in 1733 and a large part of the C19th extended area survives within QMC and Westfield College. Spanish and Portuguese Jews came to this country fleeing from religious persecution and established themselves in Mile End in 1656. The Sephardi Velho (Old) Cemetery had opened in 1657, closing in 1737 when it was full and the new cemetery was open. The cemetery was listed by EH in 2014.
The Spanish and Portuguese Jews' New Burial Ground opened 1733, and was extended eastwards in 1855 and eventually closed for burial in 1888. Parts of the wall have been lowered but the western boundary wall was built in 1733 and a large part of the C19th extended area survives within QMC and Westfield College. Spanish and Portuguese Jews came to this country fleeing from religious persecution and established themselves in Mile End in 1656. The Sephardi Velho (Old) Cemetery had opened in 1657, closing in 1737 when it was full and the new cemetery was open. The cemetery was listed by EH in 2014.
Although Mile End Park was not fully opened until 2004, it was planned from the 1940s, included in Sir Patrick Abercrombie's Greater London Plan. King George's Field in the south opened in 1952 on an area of bomb damage, and the adjacent East London Stadium opened in 1966. Some land clearance and tree planting took place over the years, with the northern area landscaped in the 1980s. A concerted plan to complete the park took place from 1995 following successful application for funding from the Millennium Commission. The aim was that it should be a sustainable entity, built for the community and a catalyst for regional regeneration. It consists of a series of distinct areas providing for different activities, linked by a winding pathway.
