Description
Jesus Green is a triangular 'garden square' formed when the GLC compulsorily purchased the former Jesus Hospital's estate of the 1860s. Part of the estate was cleared to lay out the green space, which remains flanked on all sides by C19th ranges of modest terraced houses. The garden has a central circular path and transverse paths, and is largely laid to grass with scattered trees and peripheral shrub planting. It is surrounded by metal railings joining ponderous brick piers at the corners.
Practical Information
| Site location | Elwin Street/Quilter Street/Barnet Grove |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E2 |
| What3Words | ///origin.insect.afford |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Bethnal Green (Central) then bus. Bus: 8 |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In 1670 the land here was owned by James Ravenscroft, whose name is recalled in Ravenscroft Street and Ravenscroft Park (q.v.). In 1689 Ravenscroft bestowed the land to the trustees of Jesus Hospital in Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshire. However, development did not take place until the 1820s prior to which it was leased for farming. The first attempts to develop the charity's estate were beset with problems that included corruption, poor workmanship, haphazard construction on-site and a lack of supervision. The successful scheme dates from the 1860s after the Charity trustees, including its chairman Reverend T.H Elwin and solicitor James Quilter, were joined by Joseph Baxendale of Woodside in the Parish of Finchley and Richard Durant of High Canons in the Parish of Shenley. In 1862, Bishopsgate surveyor George Clarkson was appointed and the site was cleared of buildings before new roadways and drains were laid out. 372 homes were built under his supervision between 1862 and 1868, designed by Henry Robert Abraham. The Jesus Hospital's Estate was built to provide housing for the working classes and its new roads were named after the men who played a role in the new estate: Elwin Street, Quilter Street, Baxendale Street, Wimbolt Street and Durant Street.
Many of these streets of well-designed two-storey terraced houses have been preserved as a result of the GLC's purchase of the estate in 1979, although in 1986 the housing was sold to private developers.
Many of these streets of well-designed two-storey terraced houses have been preserved as a result of the GLC's purchase of the estate in 1979, although in 1986 the housing was sold to private developers.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ340828 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.3706 |
| Site Ownership | LB Tower Hamlets |
| Site Management | Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1979 |
| Designers | GLC |
| 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 | Jesus Hospital Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
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.
Ravenscroft Park was opened on 5 December 1990 by Dr David Bellamy. According to a plaque installed in the park, it was created 'for the people of Bethnal Green, with thanks to the Monument Trust and the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association for assistance with grants'. A community garden comprised of raised beds was created in 2015, gardened by children from nearby Columbia Primary School, together with parents and neighbours. Nearby is a circular mosaic set into the ground, relocated here from its former location in Brick Lane. It was originally created in the 1990s by artist Rachel Lichenstein with children from Thomas Buxton and St. Anne’s schools.
Formerly the additional burial ground for St Mary Matfelon, Whitechapel and Whitechapel Workhouse, this is now an area of open space within a modern housing estate. The land was consecrated for burial in 1796 and closed in 1853.
