Description
Aske's Hospital was one of the earliest and grandest almshouses in Shoreditch, taking its name from Robert Aske (1619-1689) who bequeathed money to the Haberdashers' Company in 1689. The original C17th almshouses designed by Robert Hooke in 1692 accommodated 20 single men and a school for 20 boys, but were rebuilt in the 1820s with additional facilities for education, forming three sides of a square. By 1882 there were no longer almshouses and the enlarged school buildings catered for 300 girls and 300 boys. In 1898 the two schools transferred elsewhere and the buildings became the LCC's Shoreditch Technical Institute, the open space in front renamed Aske Gardens and designated as public open space. The public gardens remain today but in 2023 were renamed Joe White Gardens after an inspirational Hackney-raised sportsman, as part of Hackney Council's anti-racism programme. The buildings are no longer in educational use and were developed for private housing in the early C21st.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Aske Gardens; Aske Hospital |
|---|---|
| Site location | Pitfield Street/Buttesland Street |
| Postcode | N1 6LE |
| What3Words | ///lowest.lame.moon |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk (summer 9.30pm, winter 4pm). |
| Facilities | Tennis court; multi-use games area |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Old Street (Northern). Bus: 55 [243] |
| Research Updated | 7 November 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Joe White Gardens are on the site of Aske's Hospital, one of the earliest and grandest almshouses to be built in Shoreditch. The site took its original name from its benefactor Robert Aske, who also bequeathed money for Haberdasher Aske's School. Aske's will of January 1689 left £20,000 to the Haberdashers' Company for the establishment of almshouses for '20 poor single freemen and a school for 20 sons of freemen' and in 1690 a charity was set up by Act of Parliament to carry out the terms of the will, and a site was obtained. Aske was an investor in the Royal African Company, and as well as using some of his money for philanthropic purposes he was an active participant in the slave trade. Between 1672 and 1731 he is known to have transported 187,697 enslaved people on company-owned ships to English colonies in the Americas. 20% of these enslaved people died on the journey.
The original almshouses were designed by Robert Hooke in 1692 and the building was completed by 1695, consisting of a block set back from the road behind a brick wall with a central gateway. A statue of Robert Aske was set in a niche over the central doorway. This building fell into disrepair and was pulled down in 1822 and rebuilt in 1825-27 by David Riddel Roper with increased educational provision, the new building taking the form of three sides of a square with Greek Doric pillars at the front. In 1873 the Charity Commissioners approved a new scheme whereby the educational element of the Aske's charity remit was to be extended and the almshouses element changed to pensions. By 1882 the almshouses portion of the building had been demolished; the school buildings were enlarged with new wings added and it was in use for the National Schools, providing for 300 girls and 300 boys. At this time the charity also established schools at Hatcham.
In 1898 the Girls School transferred to Acton and the Boys School to West Hampstead, and the Shoreditch buildings were taken over by the LCC for use as Shoreditch Technical Institute. The open space in front was then designated as public open space. The Institute later became City and East London College but is no longer in educational use. The buildings were developed for a private luxury housing scheme in the early C21st and named Hoffman Square, providing 40 residential apartments. The scheme was deemed a sensitive reformation for which it was granted the Britannia National Home Builder Design Award for restoration and conversion. The gardens in front remain a public amenity, laid out with recreational facilities and some gardens, with shrubs and a number of fine old plane trees. The boundary with Pitfield Street retains the C19th railings on stone coping and stone gate piers. The gardens have some shrub planting around the tennis courts and the perimeter, and an area of grass with seating between the two sports facilities. The gardens were refurbished in 2012 and in 2014 were awarded a Green Flag.
In 2023, through suggestions by the Hackney Naming Hub, which was launched in November 2020 as part of Hackney Council's anti-racism programme, it was decided to bestow the gardens with the new name of Joe White Gardens. Joe White (1962-2002) was raised in Hackney and forged a successful career as a professional basketball player representing Team GB; he was later a youth coach and mentor to other Olympic basketball players, two of whom took part in the 2012 London Olympics.
Joe White Gardens is the second public space to be renamed through suggestions by the Hackney Naming Hub. In November 2021, Kit Crowley Gardens was given as the new name for the former Cassland Road Gardens (q.v.).
The original almshouses were designed by Robert Hooke in 1692 and the building was completed by 1695, consisting of a block set back from the road behind a brick wall with a central gateway. A statue of Robert Aske was set in a niche over the central doorway. This building fell into disrepair and was pulled down in 1822 and rebuilt in 1825-27 by David Riddel Roper with increased educational provision, the new building taking the form of three sides of a square with Greek Doric pillars at the front. In 1873 the Charity Commissioners approved a new scheme whereby the educational element of the Aske's charity remit was to be extended and the almshouses element changed to pensions. By 1882 the almshouses portion of the building had been demolished; the school buildings were enlarged with new wings added and it was in use for the National Schools, providing for 300 girls and 300 boys. At this time the charity also established schools at Hatcham.
In 1898 the Girls School transferred to Acton and the Boys School to West Hampstead, and the Shoreditch buildings were taken over by the LCC for use as Shoreditch Technical Institute. The open space in front was then designated as public open space. The Institute later became City and East London College but is no longer in educational use. The buildings were developed for a private luxury housing scheme in the early C21st and named Hoffman Square, providing 40 residential apartments. The scheme was deemed a sensitive reformation for which it was granted the Britannia National Home Builder Design Award for restoration and conversion. The gardens in front remain a public amenity, laid out with recreational facilities and some gardens, with shrubs and a number of fine old plane trees. The boundary with Pitfield Street retains the C19th railings on stone coping and stone gate piers. The gardens have some shrub planting around the tennis courts and the perimeter, and an area of grass with seating between the two sports facilities. The gardens were refurbished in 2012 and in 2014 were awarded a Green Flag.
In 2023, through suggestions by the Hackney Naming Hub, which was launched in November 2020 as part of Hackney Council's anti-racism programme, it was decided to bestow the gardens with the new name of Joe White Gardens. Joe White (1962-2002) was raised in Hackney and forged a successful career as a professional basketball player representing Team GB; he was later a youth coach and mentor to other Olympic basketball players, two of whom took part in the 2012 London Olympics.
Joe White Gardens is the second public space to be renamed through suggestions by the Hackney Naming Hub. In November 2021, Kit Crowley Gardens was given as the new name for the former Cassland Road Gardens (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ330827 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1690-1695; 1898 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Haberdashers Almshouses |
| 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 | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| 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
The laying out of Charles Square commenced in 1684 with the first houses built along the east side. The square was completed in c.1770, at which time it was described as 'set with greens, plants, fruit and other trees'. The central garden was acquired by Shoreditch Vestry in 1897 and laid out as an ornamental garden. One of the original Georgian house remains, with the garden now surrounded by 1950s flats.
Hoxton was a popular place of retreat and by the early C17th wealthy people had large houses here. Hoxton Square was built in 1683 and the houses would have been fronted by gardens looking onto the central garden, which was laid out in 1709. By the mid C19th the residential character of the area was largely superseded by trade activities. The privately owned central garden was leased to Shoreditch Borough Council and protected from building development. A drinking fountain was donated in 1901. The garden was described in 1928 as 'a great amenity in a densely developed neighbourhood' and this remains the case today as Hoxton has become a hub of activity again.
St John the Baptist Church is an early C19th church of classical design. The churchyard was laid out as a public garden in 1893 with grants from the MPGA, the MBW and the LCC. In the 1990s renovations to the church included addition of a children's play area. The garden has fine C19th ornamental gates and railings, shaped at one point around a drinking fountain. Mature plane trees surround the site and there is perimeter planting and seating; a few gravestones and chest tombs remain to the south of the church.