Description
Noble Street Gardens is a sunken garden made post-WWII adjacent to the Plaisterers' Hall. The area suffered heavy bomb damage in WWII and the excavated garden contains remains of the old Roman Wall. The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers was incorporated in 1501 and its original hall was built in 1556 in Addle Hill off Carter Lane, rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 and then again in 1882 after another fire. The hall here dates from 1970-3, rebuilt c.2002. Noble Street is named after a C14th landowner, Thomas Noble.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Roman Wall; Wall Green; Plaisterers' Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | Noble Street/London Wall |
| Postcode | EC2V 7JU |
| What3Words | ///major.logic.issues |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | but designed to be viewed from Noble Street |
| Public Transport | Tube: St Paul's (Central); Barbican Barbican (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan). Rail: Barbican |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Sunken garden made post-war adjacent to the Plaisterers' Hall, built in 1970-3, rebuilt c.2002. Noble Street is named after a C14th landowner, Thomas Noble; properties here suffered heavy bomb damage in World War II and the garden is an excavated site within which are remains of the old Roman Wall. The garden was laid out with grass, seating, and some planting, with creepers growing over the remains of the Roman wall; the Plaisterers' Hall formerly opened onto the north part of the garden, with balustrading surmounted by urns at intervals along the boundary with the former hall, now demolished. The south part of the garden had some public access. The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers was incorporated in 1501 and its original hall was built in 1556 in Addle Hill off Carter Lane, rebuilt first after the Great Fire of 1666 and then in 1882 after another fire.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ322814 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0653 |
| Site Ownership | Plaisterers' Company |
| Site Management | City of London Corporation Open Spaces Dept |
| Dates | post WWII (1950s or later) |
| Listed Structures | SAM: fragment of Roman Wall |
| 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 | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
St Olave Silver Street was dedicated to Olaf, the first Christian King of Norway who fought in England alongside Ethelread in 1013 against the Danes. The church was rebuilt and enlarged in 1609 and 1619 but destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not rebuilt. On the site of the churchyard is a partly raised garden surrounded by shrubs, with trees and a few tombstones in the grass. Either side of a short flight of steps leading to the raised area are two much-weathered plaques with inscriptions relating to the church, one of which showing a skull and crossbones.
In 1189 there is a reference to the church here as 'Ecclesia de Staningehage', Staining probably referring to a landowner from Staines. Oat Lane is probably so-called for an oat market that existed here by the C16th. St Mary Staining Church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not restored. In 1965 the Corporation of London took over the maintenance of the open space created on the site of the church and churchyard. The garden is a raised area of lawn with a large plane tree, path on two sides and tombstones ranged along the back. It is overlooked by Pewterers' Hall, which was built here in 1959-61 after the Company's hall in Lime Street was demolished in 1932.
In the early C12th and C13th the church here is recorded variously as St Agnes and St Anne, and by 1460 both saints are referred to. By 1269 there are records of a churchyard. Largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 a new church was built in 1677-1687 by Wren, later damaged by bombing in WWII it was restored in 1963-68 in keeping with Wren's designs. The churchyard was extended on the south and east side as a result of bomb damage and a garden was created in the early 1970s with an area of lawn with some tombstones near the church, low walls surrounding it and a good variety of trees. When Noble Street was widened the churchyard garden was united with public gardens to the north to create one public open space with seating and shrubberies.
