Description
Holy Trinity Churchyard was once a burial ground of St George's Hospital. The church of Holy Trinity Brompton was built in 1826-9 set back from Brompton Road with an avenue planted in 1831 leading to the church. The churchyard at the rear of church is now public gardens, where a few memorials remain The garden is predominantly grassed, with a small area of ornamental planting, and has shrubs and mature trees.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Holy Trinity Brompton |
|---|---|
| Site location | Brompton Road/Ennismore Gardens Mews |
| Postcode | SW1 |
| What3Words | ///those.flags.duck |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly). Bus: 14, 49, 74, 211, 345, 414, C1 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Holy Trinity Brompton is a Commissioners' church built by T L Donaldson in 1826-9. It was extended by Arthur Blomfield in 1879-82 on the site of a garden. The churchyard was a burial ground for St George's Hospital, and is now laid out as a public garden. The church is set back from Brompton Road, reached via an avenue consisting of a strip of lawn and trees flanking a central path, with a planted border to the adjacent Brompton Oratory that somewhat overshadows the church and garden. A small stone statue of a saint is adjacent to the driveway to the west of the church. The former churchyard is accessed from Ennismore Gardens Mews to the north via a red stone arch with classical pillars, inscription and relief carving, either side of which are iron railings, marred somewhat by chain link fencing. From this entrance a path flanked by an avenue to trees leads towards the church. There are numerous seats throughout the garden and a couple of memorials remain, including an urn on a plinth, and a granite tomb.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ271792 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church of England |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1826-9 |
| Designers | T.L. Donaldson |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Holy Trinity Brompton |
| 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 | Brompton |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Metropolitan Importance |
| Other LA Designation | Proposed Central 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
The houses of Brompton Square were built between 1821 and 1835, and the communal gardens provided for the use of occupants of the square were laid out in c.1821. They consisted of two enclosures, a small circular garden and a long narrow enclosure, and remain little changed today.
The Victoria & Albert Museum, now the largest museum of decorative arts and design, has its origins in 1836 and was established here as the South Kensington Museum in 1857, on part of the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851. As its collections grew, museum buildings were added and by 1883 formed a quadrangle surrounding a central courtyard garden. In 1890 a competition for new museum buildings was launched, which created the new main façade on Cromwell Road. The foundation stone was laid in 1899, and it was on this occasion that the museum's name changed to the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 2001 a major renovation programme was launched, which has included re-landscaping of the central court garden, named the John Madejski Garden after its benefactor. Opened in 2005, it has a formal layout, with an elliptical water feature that can be drained so the area can be used for events.
Ennismore Gardens was built on the site of the former paddocks and gardens of Kingston House built in 1770. Named after William Hare, Viscount Ennismore and Earl of Listowel, in former times the gardens stretched the whole length of Prince's Gate. The Victorian garden was planted in 1870 and since the 1980s has been extensively restored and replanted. The garden has a central lawn edged with serpentine paths and dense shrubberies, and is enclosed on 3 sides by cast-iron railings, punctuated by 3 pairs of C19th Portland stone gate piers and four C19th corner piers. An ornamental urn commemorates actress Ava Gardner, who lived here.
