Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Trustees of the Foundling Hospital, established in 1739 by Captain Thomas Coram, purchased 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields from Lord Salisbury and the Foundling Hospital, now Coram's Fields, was built by 1753. Samuel Pepys Cockerell was appointed to develop the estate surrounding the hospital, and his plan of 1790 had two squares. Mecklenburgh Square on the east was named after Queen Charlotte, formerly Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; it was designed by Joseph Kay with Cockerell as consultant, the houses built c1810-1820, the gardens laid out by Kay in 1809-10. The layout remains close to the original design with mature plane trees, ornamental trees, formal lawns and gravel paths.
The Trustees of the Foundling Hospital, established in 1739 by Captain Thomas Coram, purchased 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields from Lord Salisbury and the Foundling Hospital, now Coram's Fields, was built by 1753. Samuel Pepys Cockerell was appointed to develop the estate surrounding the hospital, and his plan of 1790 had two squares. Mecklenburgh Square on the east was named after Queen Charlotte, formerly Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; it was designed by Joseph Kay with Cockerell as consultant, the houses built c1810-1820, the gardens laid out by Kay in 1809-10. The layout remains close to the original design with mature plane trees, ornamental trees, formal lawns and gravel paths.
Practical Information
| Site location | Mecklenburgh Square |
|---|---|
| Postcode | WC1N 2AD |
| What3Words | ///models.spot.cheese |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for keyholders only |
| Special Conditions | Guide dogs only |
| Facilities | Tennis court, playground, BBQ pits |
| Public Transport | Tube: King's Cross (Piccadilly, Victoria, Northern, Hammersmith & City); Russell Square (Piccadilly). Bus: 17, 45, 46, 19, 38, 55, 243 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Coram's Fields including Mecklenburgh Square and Brunswick Square: Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list
Mecklenburgh Square and Brunswick Square (q.v.) were developed as part of the Foundling Estate. The Trustees of the Foundling Hospital, established in 1742 by Captain Thomas Coram, purchased 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields from owner Lord Salisbury for £6,500 and the Foundling Hospital, now Coram's Fields (q.v.) was built by 1753. The Building Committee appointed Samuel Pepys Cockerell to develop the estate surrounding the hospital, whose plan of 1790 had two squares on either side of the Hospital.
Mecklenburgh Square on the east was named after Queen Charlotte, formerly Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and was designed by Joseph Kay with Cockerell as consultant, Cockerell having fallen out with the Hospital Governers. The houses in the square were built between c1810-1820, with the gardens laid out by Kay in 1809-10. On the north side are early C19th cast-iron entrance gates and railings with square plan gate piers with moulded panels and roundels, surmounted by twisted lamp bases (lamps missing). The layout remains close to the original design with mature plane trees, ornamental trees, formal lawns and gravel paths. One section is devoted to New Zealand species.
The garden is now owned by Goodenough College whose London House is located on the square, and the garden is largely for use by overseas graduates of Goodenough College and of those residing in the square. With support from the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, a Medical Herb Spiral and Bed were created in the north east corner of the garden in 2010, and are used by MSC students from UCL School of Pharmacy to inform essays about medicinal plants.
The Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens was set up in 2012 as a forum for the local gardens, with a website www.bloomsburysquares.org.uk, which acts as a point of access for sharing activities, events and concerns. The gardens within the Association are: Argyle, Bedford, Bloomsbury, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Gordon, Mecklenburgh, Regent, Russell, Tavistock, Torrington and Woburn Squares (q.q.v.), and Marchmont Community Garden.
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
Mecklenburgh Square and Brunswick Square (q.v.) were developed as part of the Foundling Estate. The Trustees of the Foundling Hospital, established in 1742 by Captain Thomas Coram, purchased 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields from owner Lord Salisbury for £6,500 and the Foundling Hospital, now Coram's Fields (q.v.) was built by 1753. The Building Committee appointed Samuel Pepys Cockerell to develop the estate surrounding the hospital, whose plan of 1790 had two squares on either side of the Hospital.
Mecklenburgh Square on the east was named after Queen Charlotte, formerly Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and was designed by Joseph Kay with Cockerell as consultant, Cockerell having fallen out with the Hospital Governers. The houses in the square were built between c1810-1820, with the gardens laid out by Kay in 1809-10. On the north side are early C19th cast-iron entrance gates and railings with square plan gate piers with moulded panels and roundels, surmounted by twisted lamp bases (lamps missing). The layout remains close to the original design with mature plane trees, ornamental trees, formal lawns and gravel paths. One section is devoted to New Zealand species.
The garden is now owned by Goodenough College whose London House is located on the square, and the garden is largely for use by overseas graduates of Goodenough College and of those residing in the square. With support from the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, a Medical Herb Spiral and Bed were created in the north east corner of the garden in 2010, and are used by MSC students from UCL School of Pharmacy to inform essays about medicinal plants.
The Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens was set up in 2012 as a forum for the local gardens, with a website www.bloomsburysquares.org.uk, which acts as a point of access for sharing activities, events and concerns. The gardens within the Association are: Argyle, Bedford, Bloomsbury, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Gordon, Mecklenburgh, Regent, Russell, Tavistock, Torrington and Woburn Squares (q.q.v.), and Marchmont Community Garden.
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ306823 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.9851 |
| Site Ownership | London Goodenough Trust |
| Site Management | Goodenough College |
| Dates | 1809-10 |
| Designers | Joseph Kay |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Nos.11-26 (Consecutive) and attached railings, Byron Court (No.26). LBII: Nos.43-47 (Consecutive) and attached railings; Entrance gates and railings to Coram's Gardens; London House. |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | Yes |
| NHLE grade | Grade II |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bloomsbury |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Central London Area |
| Other LA Designation | Private Open Space. London Squares Preservation Act of 1931 |
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
Frederick Goodenough founded The Dominion Students' Hall Trust in 1931 to provide a collegiate home for male postgraduate students from overseas, with a sister Trust for female graduates established post WWII. London House was completed in 1933, a neo-Georgian building designed by Sir Herbert Baker. The northern and western ranges were completed to a simplified design after Baker's death in 1944. London House has an enclosed quadrangle entered through wrought-iron gates. The central garden is set to lawn with mixed beds on the perimeter and three specimen trees including a large mulberry. A sundial in the garden was unveiled by HRH The Queen on 10 November 2006 to mark the 75th anniversary of the college.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
This is on part of the site of the Foundling Hospital established by Captain Thomas Coram in 1739 as a home for destitute and abandoned children. 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields were purchased and developed as the Foundling Estate to provide ground rents to support the Hospital but also retain the open situation. In 1926 when the Hospital sold up and moved out of London, the main buildings were demolished apart from its single-storey colonnaded forecourt buildings. Following a public campaign to save the site, it was purchased for London's first public children's playground. It opened as Coram's Fields in 1936 with the Memorial Pavilion in the centre commemorating Harold Vyvyan and Vere Harmsworth. The basic layout of the gardens is similar to that of the C18th.
This is on part of the site of the Foundling Hospital established by Captain Thomas Coram in 1739 as a home for destitute and abandoned children. 56 acres in Lamb's Conduit Fields were purchased and developed as the Foundling Estate to provide ground rents to support the Hospital but also retain the open situation. In 1926 when the Hospital sold up and moved out of London, the main buildings were demolished apart from its single-storey colonnaded forecourt buildings. Following a public campaign to save the site, it was purchased for London's first public children's playground. It opened as Coram's Fields in 1936 with the Memorial Pavilion in the centre commemorating Harold Vyvyan and Vere Harmsworth. The basic layout of the gardens is similar to that of the C18th.
Formerly a burial ground for St Andrew's Holborn that closed for burials in 1850, the site was converted into public gardens in 1885 when St Pancras Borough Council acquired it along with a strip of land at the southern edge. St Andrew's Gardens are laid out as two rectangular lawns bisected by a central path with mature London planes and an ancient weeping ash. Many of the headstones were resited near the northern entrance but a few C18th chest tombs remain in situ in the gardens. A granite drinking fountain and a small red brick lodge date from the C19th.
