Description
Hyde Park Square was built from 1837 as part of the development of the extensive Paddington Estate of the Bishop of London, which was laid out from the early C19th. The layout of the garden today bears little relation to its early layout and it has been replanted and re-stocked, together with a woodland style area to encourage more wildlife. New gates were erected on the north and west sides in 2005.
Practical Information
| Site location | Hyde Park Square, Paddington |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 |
| What3Words | ///hopes.meant.origin |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for keyholders only |
| Public Transport | Tube: Marble Arch, Lancaster Gate (Central), Paddington (Circle, District, Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City). Bus: 12, 94, 148, 274. |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Land to the north of Hyde Park was for centuries farmland owned by the Church of England, the area known as Tyburnia after the river Tyburn that flows underground. It was at Tyburn Gallows at Marble Arch that public executions were held until 1783. The development of the Church Commissioners' Hyde Park Estate began soon after, and the early masterplan of Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1754-1827) was possibly begun in 1805 although little was built until the 1820s. Cockerell was succeeded as estate surveyor by George Gutch (c.1790-1874), who modified and intensified the layout, and drew up his 'Final Plan of Tyburnia' in 1838. Hyde Park Square was built from 1837, with the west and south side of the square designed by George Ledwell Taylor (1788-1873) with the exception of three houses of 1843-48. The garden was provided for the private use of residents of the surrounding houses and has notable London plane trees, shrub borders and flower beds, and is surrounded by hedge and mesh fencing.
In 1954 a 90-acre area of land within the Church Commissioners estate containing C19th terraces south of Sussex Gardens was consolidated as the Hyde Park Estate. The layout of the garden today bears little relation to its early layout and it has been replanted and re-stocked, together with a woodland style area to encourage more wildlife. New gates were erected on the north and west sides in 2005. The cost of maintenance of the gardens is through an annual service charge to lessees who have exclusive rights to use the gardens.
In 1954 a 90-acre area of land within the Church Commissioners estate containing C19th terraces south of Sussex Gardens was consolidated as the Hyde Park Estate. The layout of the garden today bears little relation to its early layout and it has been replanted and re-stocked, together with a woodland style area to encourage more wildlife. New gates were erected on the north and west sides in 2005. The cost of maintenance of the gardens is through an annual service charge to lessees who have exclusive rights to use the gardens.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ271810 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church Commissioners |
| Site Management | Estate Management Scheme, Gardens Committee |
| Dates | 1830s/40s |
| Designers | George Gutch |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Nos. 11-21 and 30-37 Hyde Park Square |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bayswater (north & part of south terrace) |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Gloucester Square was laid out as part of George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tyburnia' of 1838 on the estate lands of the Church Commissioners, in an axis containing Sussex Square, Cambridge and Oxford Squares and Norfolk Crescent. Its name derives from William, Duke of Gloucester, who had a townhouse nearby. The south side was designed in 1844 by George Ledwell Taylor; the other three sides are now redevelopments of the C20th. The garden enclosure was provided as a private garden for occupiers of the square. Nowadays there are roses and flowerbeds, and substantial mature London plane trees.
Two garden enclosures provide communal gardens to the residents of Hyde Park Gardens, a terrace facing onto Bayswater Road and Kensington Gardens. The houses were designed by John Crake, a pupil of Decimus Burton, whose designs for the terrace were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1836. An engraving of the same year shows the garden railed but open to view.
Oxford and Cambridge Squares and Norfolk Crescent were created on the site of the earlier, much larger Stanhope Square, which was laid out pre-1834. The area was within the Bishop of London's extensive Paddington Estate and was developed from 1838 as part of estate surveyor George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tybernia'. The form of the garden is intact although surrounding buildings date from the 1960s. The garden contains notable mature London plane trees, and now has modern bedding, substantial shrubbery, privet topiary and modern railings.
