Description
This private communal garden was provided for residents of Ovington Square and some houses in Ovington Gardens, which were built from the late 1840s when the area was being developed for housing. In the early C18th the land was an open field known as Flounder's Field and belonged to the Dyer family of Essex where they owned an estate called Ovington, hence the street names here. The square has modern railings, curved wrought iron gates and a wide paved path leading across to the entrance opposite. There is a narrow paved path around the edge of the garden, mature plane trees, shrubs and grass.
Practical Information
| Site location | Ovington Square |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW3 |
| What3Words | ///theme.bids.pipes |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for keyholders only |
| Public Transport | Tube: Knightsbridge (Piccadilly). Bus: 14, 74, 414, C1 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In the early C18th the land was an open field known as Flounder's Field, belonging to the Dyer family of Essex where they owned an estate called Ovington. To the north was Brompton Lane, now Brompton Road; Brompton Grove was once in this location, where several well-known people had houses. In the C19th William Jerdan, editor of the Literary Gazette, lived here. By 1840 there was a market garden here producing vegetables for the City but by 1865 the land was developed for housing, the square named Ovington after the Dyer family estate.
Ovington Square has two terraces facing each other across the oblong garden, Nos 1-33 Ovington Square built in 1845-50, designed by W W Pocock. No 35 was built in 1880 as part of the Cadogan Estate. Responsibility for the garden passed to Trustees following a Settlement made by Sir J S Dyer in 1912, and lessees of houses with access to the gardens paid a garden rent for its upkeep. In 1928 the garden was described as an 'oblong area surrounded by a thick privet hedge. Laid out as an ornamental garden with well-kept lawns'. The Dyer Trust is now owned by the Paravicini family who married into the Dyers. The garden is protected under 1851 Garden Square Act and maintained under the Kensington Improvement Act, 1851, which allows for management and day-to-day maintenance by a garden committee of residents. The committee is empowered to levy a garden rate on owners and occupiers entitled to use the garden, the rate collected by RBKC. The garden featured in Powell and Pressburger's 1943 film 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', taking advantage of an actual bomb site where Nos. 22/24/26 Ovington Square was, now a block.
Ovington Square has two terraces facing each other across the oblong garden, Nos 1-33 Ovington Square built in 1845-50, designed by W W Pocock. No 35 was built in 1880 as part of the Cadogan Estate. Responsibility for the garden passed to Trustees following a Settlement made by Sir J S Dyer in 1912, and lessees of houses with access to the gardens paid a garden rent for its upkeep. In 1928 the garden was described as an 'oblong area surrounded by a thick privet hedge. Laid out as an ornamental garden with well-kept lawns'. The Dyer Trust is now owned by the Paravicini family who married into the Dyers. The garden is protected under 1851 Garden Square Act and maintained under the Kensington Improvement Act, 1851, which allows for management and day-to-day maintenance by a garden committee of residents. The committee is empowered to levy a garden rate on owners and occupiers entitled to use the garden, the rate collected by RBKC. The garden featured in Powell and Pressburger's 1943 film 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', taking advantage of an actual bomb site where Nos. 22/24/26 Ovington Square was, now a block.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ274791 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1369 |
| Site Ownership | Paravicini Family |
| Site Management | Ovington Square Garden sub-committee |
| Dates | 1860s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 1-33 (odd), 35, 37-43 (odd), 34, 36-42 (even) Ovington 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 | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Thurloe Estate and Smith's Charity |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes - Area of trees |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Two areas of communal gardens are provided for the residents of Egerton Terrace, which was built in the 1890s as part of Henry Smith's Charity Estate. The gardens comprise a small semi-circular area at the front and an area at the back of the terrace. Initial development in the area dates from 1785 but Egerton Place was subsequently replaced and rebuilt in the 1890s. The front garden has mature trees and has been re-landscaped with ornamental plants, flower beds in recent years.
These private communal gardens were provided for residents of the houses that overlook it, which were built in c.1886 as part of the Smith's Charity Estate development. The Trustees of the Estate began building from 1823, appointing George Basevi as architect in 1828, subsequently Henry Clutton from 1845, later succeeded by Charles James Freake from 1865. Prior to this the site of Lennox Gardens had been that of Prince's Cricket Club, itself laid out on former nursery gardens, which was forced to close when the area was redeveloped.
These private communal gardens were provided for residents of the adjacent houses of Egerton Gardens, which were built in 1886-8 as part of the Smith's Charity Estate development. The Trustees of the Estate began building on the estate land from 1823, appointing George Basevi as architect in 1828. The garden forms a narrow strip between two brick terraces and has cast-iron railings at either end.