Description
Nelson Square Gardens was originally for the use of residents of Nelson Square. In 1903 the owner, Viscount Halifax, gave the site to the LCC and it was laid out as a rectangular playground, with flower bed in the centre and shrub and privet hedge around the perimeter. It opened to the public in February 1904. There was formerly a bandstand and ornamental drinking fountain presented by the MPGA. The garden has 6 mature plane trees but is now mainly laid out as a tarmac playground, alongside which is a small rose garden with ornamental planting.
Practical Information
| Site location | Blackfriars Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE1 |
| What3Words | ///roof.export.noises |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Waterloo (Northern, Waterloo and City, Jubilee, Bakerloo). Tube: Southwark (Jubilee). Bus: 45, 63 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Nelson Square Gardens was originally for the use of residents of the Square, in 1903 the owner Viscount Halifax gave the site to London County Council, and it was laid out as a rectangular playground, with flower bed in the centre and shrub and privet hedge around the perimeter, opened to the public in February 1904. The cost to lay it out was £1,400 with half this amount met by owners of the houses and the remainder by the LCC and Southwark Metropolitan Borough Council. There were six mature plane trees, which remain in the gardens, that had circular seats provided around them; there was a bandstand with flower beds and an ornamental drinking fountain presented by the MPGA. The terrace of almshouses at one end of Nelson Square is all that remains of the original buildings, built between 1807 and 1810 possibly designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, now used by the Blackfriars Settlement. The rest of the housing around the square are now medium rise flats, c.1950. Today the garden square is mainly a tarmac playground enclosed by a wire mesh fence. Alongside it is a small rose garden enclosed by c.1930 cast iron railings on brick footings. Improvements were carried out in 2000/1 designed by Jennifer Coe Landscape Architects with new play equipment, new railings/fencing, surfacing with money raised by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) through the Cross River Open Spaces fund. Local people re-planted the rose garden and a gardening club undertakes work here, set up by BOST.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ317799 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.389 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks. Nelson Square Gardens Project run by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) |
| Dates | pre-1903 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: almshouses (44-47 Nelson Square) |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | London Squares Preservation Act. Regeneration Area |
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
John Walter, Clerk of the Drapers' Company from 1616-56, set up almshouses in Southwark and Newington Butts, including those on the current site, which were built in 1820 when earlier almshouses were relocated. The original almshouses were established by St George's Field in 1650. The new Almshouses accommodated 16 men, women or spinsters, and consisted of a row of 5 houses of 2 storeys, in front of which were ornamental gardens with fuel stores and wash houses to the rear. A plaque in the centre has the words: 'The Drapers almshouses Rebuilt AD1820 William Gibbs, William Pugh Church Wardens Joseph Kesterton of this parish'. The Drapers' Company relocated the residents in c.1973 and the almshouses were sold, but remain as private residencies with a communal front garden.
All Hallows Church was built by George Gilbert Scott Junior in 1879-80 but was bombed in WWII. Little remains of the old church except fragments of the building, including two stone archways and one chapel that was incorporated into the building of 1957, now in residential use. The churchyard has been restored as a walled public garden and has lawn surrounded by flower beds and shrubberies. Steps lead up to a crucifix in the garden. The garden has been looked after by residents for 30 years or so, and is now supported by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST).
Ufford Street Gardens is located on land that was part of the Manor of Lambeth, known as Chalcroft Meadow, which was owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Development of the area for housing began in the early C19th but in 1901 it was redeveloped by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who designated part of the land for a new public open space. Lambeth Borough Council laid out and opened Ufford Street Recreation Ground in 1907. The street is named after John de Ufford, Archbishop-elect of Canterbury, who died in 1349 before he could be formally consecrated to the title. In 2008 the park was restored using Heritage Lottery funding to improve its play and sports facilities, and it was renamed Ufford Street Gardens. Later improvements have taken place since 2017.
