Description
Jubilee Gardens were laid out in 1977 and at that time various names were suggested, including 'Mortlake Terrace Gardens'. This referred to J M W Turner's painting of the garden of The Limes, which he called Mortlake Terrace. However, a survey of local opinion favoured calling it Jubilee Gardens for the Queen's Jubilee in 1977. It is on the site of an old Barnes Council depot and near the site of famous tapestry works. It provides a good vantage point for the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Practical Information
| Site location | Mortlake High Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW14 8PT |
| What3Words | ///suffer.useful.cheer |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail: Mortlake. Bus: 209, 419 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Small landscaped area with stepped brick terrace with seating fronting on the Thames and a fine vantage point for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Between this and the road is grass with some trees and shrubs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ209759 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1977 |
| 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 | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | CA |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Proposed area for environmental improvement |
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
Mortlake was a medieval village, and the first church recorded was a chapel erected in 1348 near the Manor House. St Mary's Church was built on the present site in 1543. The original parish burial ground was a piece of land next to the old chapel that had been given by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1383. St Mary's churchyard was enlarged in 1725/6, in 1742 and again in 1799. It was closed to burials in 1854. The maintenance of the churchyard became the responsibility of the local council in the 1920s. Having become neglected, it was restored as a garden in the 1980s and is now maintained by the Friends of Mortlake Churchyard.
St Mary Magdalen's RC Church was built in 1852 at a time when the Catholic community in Mortlake was growing, hitherto served by mass held in private houses, such as that of Lady Mostyn in Sheen. The churchyard was opened in 1853 and is particularly important for the mausoleum in the form of an Arab tent of the explorer Sir Richard Burton (d.1890), erected by his wife Isabel, who was buried here in 1896. The small tree-filled churchyard is walled on three sides and abuts St Mary Magdalen RC Primary School, which is contemporary with the church and churchyard.
Land for what is now called Old Mortlake Burial Ground was purchased in 1854 and the first burial took place in December. In 1874 Mortlake Burial Board was established and further pieces of land were purchased, and the cemetery was enlarged to the west in 1877. The original cemetery chapel was demolished in 1969, its site marked by a an area of tarmac in front of the main entrance gates on South Worple Way. From here an avenue of mature horse chestnuts flanks the path that prior to the extension ran through the centre of the cemetery. A brick lodge was built at a second entrance on Avenue Gardens, now privately owned. The cemetery has many fine mature trees and a number of historic tombs including those of Charles Dickens' eldest son and sister-in-law.