Description
Mark Street Garden was laid out alongside St Michael's Church, now closed, which was built in 1863-5, adjacent to which is the former Hospital of St Mary at the Cross. Founded in 1866, the convent moved to Edgware in 1931. The small public garden to the south is built over part of the former cloister and consists of a series of small spaces with areas of lawn, shrubberies and flower beds, a pergola and two stone monuments, one of these a memorial to Sidney Smith (d.1870).
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Michael's Church; Hospital of St Mary at the Cross |
|---|---|
| Site location | Mark Street/Mark Square |
| Postcode | EC2 |
| What3Words | ///paused.tigers.bands |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Special Conditions | no ball games |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Old Street (Northern); Bus: 55, 76, 141, 271 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Michael's Church is a large, handsome stock brick church with red brick and stone bands, built in 1863-1865 and the first church by James Brooks in this area. It was built at the instigation of the Haggerston Church Scheme that was begun by the vicar of Shoreditch with the support of, among others, Robert Brett of Newington Green (q.v.). Adjacent to the church is the remains of the cloister and hospital of St Mary at the Cross Convent, an Anglican Benedictine Community of Sisters of the Poor founded in Shoreditch in 1866 where it purchased a site in 1873 and built a convent. The convent building was begun by James Brooks but completed by J D Sedding in Franco-Flemish style. The Convent closed in 1931, and the Sisters moved to Edgware. Furnishings from the convent chapel were moved to Edgware. The Clergy House dates from 1870, also by James Brook, now used as offices. When the church of St James Curtain Road was demolished in 1935 its parish united with that of St Michael Mark Street, which itself closed in 1964, the parish becoming part of the parish of St Leonard's (q.v.). The church is now used by Lassco, an architectural salvage company, and houses an extraordinary collection of artefacts. Behind the church is a sunken garden area with a central bed, surrounded by gravel, with seating and raised beds.
Mark Street Garden was laid out alongside St Michael's Church from which it is separated by a wide flagstone path. The garden consists of a series of small spaces with winding earth paths providing areas of lawn, shrubberies and flower beds, including aromatic plants, and a pergola in the centre of which is a stone monument. A second stone obelisk is surrounded by seating and is a memorial to Sidney Smith with the inscription 'in affectionate Memory of Sidney Smith, died 1870'.
Mark Street Garden was laid out alongside St Michael's Church from which it is separated by a wide flagstone path. The garden consists of a series of small spaces with winding earth paths providing areas of lawn, shrubberies and flower beds, including aromatic plants, and a pergola in the centre of which is a stone monument. A second stone obelisk is surrounded by seating and is a memorial to Sidney Smith with the inscription 'in affectionate Memory of Sidney Smith, died 1870'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ330823 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Hackney Parks Service |
| Dates | church: 1863-65; garden: c.1984 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Michael's Church. LBII*: Clergy House to west of church |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | South Shoreditch |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Architectural Priority |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
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.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Bunhill is probably a corruption of 'Bone Hill', and the area has been a site of burial for upwards of 1,000 years. The Corporation of London had originally enclosed this site for a new burial ground for plague victims just outside the City walls, but it was subsequently leased for a private cemetery. Bunhill Fields was established in 1665 and became the country's pre-eminent Nonconformist cemetery. Between 1665-1854, when it was closed for burials, some 123,000 interments took place, the oldest existing memorial that of Theophilus Gale, d.1678. Among many important Nonconformists buried here are John Bunyan, Susannah Wesley (mother of Charles and John Wesley), Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. In 1868 it was converted into public gardens by the Corporation of London, when new walls and gates were erected, paths laid out and trees planted. Following bomb damage, after WWII the north area was largely cleared and laid out as a garden and the south area re-landscaped with 5 railed areas containing over 2000 monuments.
Bunhill is probably a corruption of 'Bone Hill', and the area has been a site of burial for upwards of 1,000 years. The Corporation of London had originally enclosed this site for a new burial ground for plague victims just outside the City walls, but it was subsequently leased for a private cemetery. Bunhill Fields was established in 1665 and became the country's pre-eminent Nonconformist cemetery. Between 1665-1854, when it was closed for burials, some 123,000 interments took place, the oldest existing memorial that of Theophilus Gale, d.1678. Among many important Nonconformists buried here are John Bunyan, Susannah Wesley (mother of Charles and John Wesley), Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. In 1868 it was converted into public gardens by the Corporation of London, when new walls and gates were erected, paths laid out and trees planted. Following bomb damage, after WWII the north area was largely cleared and laid out as a garden and the south area re-landscaped with 5 railed areas containing over 2000 monuments.
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.