Description
Leathermarket Gardens were laid out in the 1930s overlooked by flats of the same period. The garden derives its name from the leather market and tanneries that existed here and on the north side is an early C19th leather warehouse. To the east end of the garden is a rectangular sunken area with formal layout of beds. In the central area, separated by a low brick wall, is a raised circular rose garden surrounded by lawn with ornamental trees, behind which is a quiet garden planted with trees and grass, shielded by privet. Adjacent to the west of the gardens is a children's playground. The gardens have been re-landscaped with EH and other funding and are now surrounded by new railings.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Leathermarket Gardens Nature Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Leathermarket Street/Weston Street |
| Postcode | SE1 |
| What3Words | ///cheeks.asset.dices |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: London Bridge (Northern, Jubilee). Tube: Borough (Northern). Bus: 381. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ331796 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.156 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks; Leathermarket Joint Management Board |
| Dates | c.1930 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Leathermarket warehouses (Nos. 2 and 4 Leathermarket Street) |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bermondsey Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park, Tier Two |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The land here was open fields until the C18th when it was purchased by the Trustees of Guy's Hospital for use as a burial ground for deceased patients. It continued as a burial ground until the 1850s Burial Acts led to its closure. For a time it was leased to a local builder but in the 1890s part was purchased by Bermondsey Vestry for a much-needed public recreation ground, opening as Nelson Recreation Ground in 1899. Although it was refurbished after WWII war damage it became run down. It was renamed and refurbished after local residents set up Friends of Guy Street Park in 2001 following community consultation. It re-opened in 2003 with improved lighting, seating, play areas, a community garden and a community artwork that also provided illumination.
Tanner Street Park was opened in 1929. The octagonal Portland stone turret that had capped the tower of the Church of St Olave in Tooley Street was sited in the south-east corner of the recreation ground; St Olave's, built in 1738-9 by Henry Flitcroft and rebuilt in 1843-6 following a fire, was demolished amid much local controversy in 1928. The small park also has a drinking fountain, some ornamental beds, grass and a few trees, with tennis courts and a shelter in the north east.
Guy's Hospital was founded by Sir Thomas Guy in 1721, and built on a site to the south of the old St Thomas' Hospital, which had been here since medieval times until its relocation to Lambeth in 1862. The hospital has considerably expanded over the years with numerous new buildings and facilities but there are a number of courtyards, with sculptures and landscaping, and a Memorial Garden.
