Description
Lower and Upper Grosvenor Gardens are two small triangular gardens laid out to complement Thomas Cundy's French Renaissance style houses. In the Lower Garden little remains of the elaborate railings of the 1864 layout and it was remodelled in 1952 as a memorial to Anglo-French understanding and a tribute to the Free French. It has an elaborate fleur-de-lys format of paths, and flowerbeds with bedding displays, the central bed in the form of a fleur-de-lys, topiary and a tiered device for the display of ivies. Two shell and pebbledash lodges studded with molluscs, with pediments on all sides, were brought over especially from France, and between them there was once a parterre. An equestrian statue of Marshall Foch of c.1930 stands at the entrance.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | The Marshal Foch Memorial Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | Grosvenor Gardens, Belgravia |
| Postcode | SW1 |
| What3Words | ///areas.metro.cases |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 10am - dusk |
| Special Conditions | no dogs, ball games or alcohol |
| Public Transport | Rail: Victoria. Tube: Victoria (District, Circle, Victoria) |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2014 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Lower Grosvenor Garden and Upper Grosvenor Garden (q.v.) were two small ornamental gardens laid out to complement Thomas Cundy's French Renaissance style houses, the design for which was exhibited at the RA in 1864. According to The Builder (1873) the ensemble formed a 'very remarkable neighbourhood'. Grosvenor Gardens and Grosvenor Place were laid out as the northwest extension of Victoria Street to Hyde Park. The gardens are surrounded by a variety of listed buildings including C19th houses, a screen wall and the gateway to Beeston Place, and also a range of purpose-built flats ('maison meublée') designed by Thomas Cundy III in 1870. In the Lower (southern) Garden only the remains of the elaborate railings - stonework and grilles at the corners - survive from the 1864 layout. The remainder of the square is enclosed with utilitarian wire fencing. Although still in private ownership of the Duke of Westminster and provided for the use of leaseholders of adjoining houses, the gardens were later accessible to the public 'by arrangement with the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association' according to the Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares of 1928. On 29 April 1948 it was reported by Topical Press that the 'badly-neglected' gardens may shortly be restored: 'The Westminster City Council is taking a long lease of the gardens from the Duke of Westminster and is to be asked to approve spending £500 on temporary restoration works. A French architect is to plan a permanent lay-out later on.' This duly took place and the Lower Garden was remodelled in 1952 by M. Moreux, Chief Architect to the Musees Nationaux de France as a memorial to Anglo-French understanding and a tribute to the Free French (WWII). Hence, the Fleur-de Lys format of paths, which saved it from destruction by a traffic scheme. It has elaborate paths and flowerbeds with bedding displays, the central bed in the form of a fleur-de-lys, topiary and a curious tiered device for the display of ivies. Also there are two shell and pebbledash lodges studded with molluscs, with pediments on all sides, 'fabriques' brought over especially from France; there used to be a parterre between the two. An equestrian statue of Marshall Foch after G B Mallisard of c.1930 stands at the entrance to the Lower Garden. On 13 April 2013 'Alien', a large bronze sculpture by David Breuer-Weil depicting a massive figure that has apparently dropped head-first from the sky, was installed in the gardens, initially for a minimum of 6 months but later extended.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ288791 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.292 |
| Site Ownership | Grosvenor Estate |
| Site Management | WCC Parks Service (contractor: Continental Landscapes Ltd) |
| Dates | c1864, remodelled 1952 |
| Designers | Thomas Cundy III; M. Moreux, Chief Architect to the Musees Nationaux de France (1952) |
| Listed Structures | LBII: numerous surrounding C19th buildings, screen wall, gateway to Beeston Place; General Foch statue |
| 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 | Grosvenor Gardens |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | London Square |
Gallery
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
Victoria Square is a modest town square of stuccoed terraces completed in 1839, part of the C19th development of the Grosvenor Estate land in Belgravia. The centre was originally an unpaved open space, later paved, and raised in the 1950s. It was landscaped in 2003-5 and has a formal, symmetrical layout, with paving, raised beds and seating, and at each end a Catalpa tree. The square is surrounded by traditional railings and lamp posts. A bronze statue of the young Queen Victoria by artist Catherine Laugel was installed in 2007, depicted at the age she would have been when the square was first laid out.
The Goring hotel has been run by the Goring family since opening on 2 March 1910. It was founded by Otto Richard Goring, who purchased the land from the Duke of Westminster and demolished a public house called The Sun and small houses that had covered the site since at least the 1870s. The new hotel was designed by Giles, Gough & Trollope and was the first hotel where each of its bedrooms had an en-suite bathroom. It was extended north on Beeston Place in 1925-6. The private garden at the rear of the hotel was acquired from the Duke of Westminster in 2005 and has well-kept lawns, shrub borders and mature trees and a number of sculptures. In WWI the hotel was used as the command centre by the Chief of Allied Forces and in WWII the hotel accommodated 150 Polish officers. The hotel has long had connections with royalty, with many famous guests staying here.
Upper and Lower Grosvenor Gardens are two small triangular gardens laid out to complement Thomas Cundy's French Renaissance style houses, the design for which was exhibited at the RA in 1864. The Upper Garden is simpler but retains 3 pairs of mid-C19th gate piers and rich wrought gates with the Grosvenor monogram. Upper Grosvenor Garden was re-landscaped and opened to the public for the first time in 2000. It has a central lawn, perimeter path and a few mature planes, with a bronze sculpture of a lioness hunting an antelope in the centre of a bed within the lawn. The Rifle Brigade Monument (1924/5) by John Tweed is on the north-eastern corner.
