Description
Mount Street Gardens are on the site of an important early Georgian cemetery built as a result of the 1711 Fifty New Churches Act. The site was acquired by the newly-formed church of St George's Hanover Square as a burial ground in 1723. Few burials took place after 1831 and it closed in 1854. Like other urban cemeteries the former burial ground was later converted into a public garden. It was laid out in 1889 with plants, paths and a small fountain designed by Ernest George and Harold Peto. Its name changed to Mount Street Gardens from Mount Field, called after English Civil War fortifications here known as Oliver's Mount. The layout has little changed since 1889, retaining its late C19th gate piers at one entrance. Around 90 sponsored benches line the paths, almost all of which were donated by Americans due to the proximity of the US Embassy.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St George's Hanover Square |
|---|---|
| Site location | Mount Street, South Audley Street, Farm Street, Mayfair |
| Postcode | W1 |
| What3Words | ///this.loose.amuse |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Special Conditions | dogs on leads |
| Public Transport | Tube: Green Park (Victoria, Piccadilly, Jubilee); Marble Arch (Central). Bus: 2, 10, 16, 36, 73, 74, 82, 137, 148, 414, 436 |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The cemetery of St George's Hanover Square was built as a direct result of the 1711 'Act for Building...fifty new churches...and for purchasing of Sites of Churches and Church-yards, and Burying-places, in or near the Cities of London and Westminster...' It is one of the 'necklace' of London's early C18th 'cemeteries' (i.e. a burial ground not in the shadow of a church). The 1.5 acre site was acquired by the newly-formed church of St George's Hanover Square as a burial ground in 1723. Few burials took place in the grounds after 1831 and it was closed in 1854. Like many overcrowded churchyards in London, its closure came as a result of the first Burial Act of 1852 and its subsequent amendments during the 1850s. The Metropolitan Open Spaces Acts of 1877 and 1881 and the Disused Burial Grounds Act of 1884, later extended under the Metropolitan Open Spaces Act of 1887, enabled 'open spaces and burial grounds in the Metropolis for the use of the inhabitants thereof for exercise and recreation'. Like other early C18th urban cemeteries the site remained largely unplanted and was converted into a public garden in 1889-90, when it was cleansed, and laid out as gardens and adorned 'with plants, shrubs and a small fountain...given in 1891...[and] designed by Ernest George and [Harold] Peto'. It was designed for estate agent Henry Lofts and was restored in 2005 through the efforts of local residents of St James and Mayfair.
The garden changed its name to Mount Street Gardens from the nearby road, which itself is named from Mount Field that contained remains of Civil War fortifications in the form of Oliver's Mount. The layout of the garden has little changed since 1889 and retains its late C19th gate piers at the entrance from South Audley Street. There are two ornamental lead cisterns inscribed 'T.F. 1728' in the gardens, and planting includes fine mature London plane trees and a variety of smaller trees, shrubs and ornamental flower beds. There are around 90 sponsored benches lining the paths, almost all of which were donated by Americans due to the close proximity of the United States Embassy. There is a bird bath, also sponsored. Adjacent at the east end of the gardens is the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which was built between 1844 - 1849 to the designs of J.J. Scoles and the altar was designed by Pugin.
Mount Street Gardens was a Winner of the London Gardens Society Public Large Squares Award for 2002.
The garden changed its name to Mount Street Gardens from the nearby road, which itself is named from Mount Field that contained remains of Civil War fortifications in the form of Oliver's Mount. The layout of the garden has little changed since 1889 and retains its late C19th gate piers at the entrance from South Audley Street. There are two ornamental lead cisterns inscribed 'T.F. 1728' in the gardens, and planting includes fine mature London plane trees and a variety of smaller trees, shrubs and ornamental flower beds. There are around 90 sponsored benches lining the paths, almost all of which were donated by Americans due to the close proximity of the United States Embassy. There is a bird bath, also sponsored. Adjacent at the east end of the gardens is the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which was built between 1844 - 1849 to the designs of J.J. Scoles and the altar was designed by Pugin.
Mount Street Gardens was a Winner of the London Gardens Society Public Large Squares Award for 2002.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ284805 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.6 |
| Site Ownership | Grosvenor Estate |
| Site Management | WCC Parks Service (Contractors: Continental Landscapes Ltd) |
| Dates | 1723, 1889-90 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Church of Immaculate Conception. LBII: South Audley Street entrance gate piers, 2 lead cisterns, fountain |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Mayfair |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes |
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
South Street Garden was planned as the centrepiece for new housing built for the Grosvenor Estate, one of three new gardens created on the estate's land in Mayfair that had previously been occupied by stables and other ancillary buildings. It was part of the 10-year programme drawn up by Estate Surveyor Edmund Wimperis when he was appointed in 1910. The private garden, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, has lawn, sunken lily pond with brick and tile walls, and a perimeter path with herring bone patterning. Integrated into the brick and tile garden wall is a picturesque potting shed. A large plane tree predates the early C20th layout.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Grosvenor Square within the extensive Grosvenor Estate of the Dukes of Westminster is the largest of the Mayfair squares. Built by Sir Richard Grosvenor, the square's garden was first laid out in the early C18th, later re-landscaped in the early C19th. It was originally provided as a private garden for residents of the surrounding houses, but opened to the public from 1948, when it was redesigned and a statue to President Roosevelt was erected within a formal garden area. On the east side is a Memorial Garden to commemorate Britons who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001.
Grosvenor Square within the extensive Grosvenor Estate of the Dukes of Westminster is the largest of the Mayfair squares. Built by Sir Richard Grosvenor, the square's garden was first laid out in the early C18th, later re-landscaped in the early C19th. It was originally provided as a private garden for residents of the surrounding houses, but opened to the public from 1948, when it was redesigned and a statue to President Roosevelt was erected within a formal garden area. On the east side is a Memorial Garden to commemorate Britons who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001.
Crewe House is a rare survival in central London of a detached mansion set in its original grounds. Built in the early C18th it was considerably altered in the late C18th and early C19th. Previously known as Wharncliffe House, it was purchased in 1899 by the Marquis of Crewe and renamed Crewe House. In 1937 it became offices for Messrs. Tilling and it is now the Saudi Arabian Embassy, extensively restored for this use by architects Michael Lyell Associates in 1988-90. The house is visible through an ornamental wrought iron screen with gates and lodges at either end, also by Michael Lyell Associates, which replaced a rendered brick wall. The garden within is entirely re-landscaped and is abundantly supplied with dwarf plants.