Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Paradise Gardens is a small strip of land that once formed part of the Bethnal Green commonland within the Manor of Stepney. A Trust Deed of c.1678 prevented building over the commonland and enabled the profits from leasing the land to benefit the poor of the parish. This small area of garden, which complements the adjacent Bethnal Green Gardens and Museum Gardens, was once a 'west paddock' let to a gardener. The terraced houses of Paradise Row date from the C18th and early C19th. Paradise Gardens consists of a strip of grass with notable planes enclosed by railings.
Paradise Gardens is a small strip of land that once formed part of the Bethnal Green commonland within the Manor of Stepney. A Trust Deed of c.1678 prevented building over the commonland and enabled the profits from leasing the land to benefit the poor of the parish. This small area of garden, which complements the adjacent Bethnal Green Gardens and Museum Gardens, was once a 'west paddock' let to a gardener. The terraced houses of Paradise Row date from the C18th and early C19th. Paradise Gardens consists of a strip of grass with notable planes enclosed by railings.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Bethnal Green |
|---|---|
| Site location | Paradise Row, Cambridge Heath Road |
| Postcode | E2 |
| What3Words | ///turned.intelligible.image |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Bethnal Green (Central). Bus: 253, 106, D3. |
| Research Updated | 27 July 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Bethnal Green Gardens: Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. 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.
The site is within the EH Register entry for Bethnal Green Gardens. Paradise Gardens is a small strip of land that once formed part of the Bethnal Green commonland within the Manor of Stepney, which was purchased by a group of local property owners in 1678. It later became the subject of a Trust Deed that prevented building over it and enabled the profits from leasing the land to benefit the poor of the parish in the form of coal. The charity that was set up was called the 'Poor Land' Charity. The foundation deed of 1690 also set out that the 16 trees within this area were to be maintained. The small area of garden now Paradise Gardens complements the adjacent Bethnal Green Gardens and Museum Gardens (q.q.v.) and was a 'west paddock' let to a gardener at £10 a year. However the Trustees of the charity had little benefit from this due to the need to constantly repair the fences as the plants were regularly stolen, allegedly by the inhabitants of Paradise Row.
The range of terraced houses that make up Paradise Row date from the C18th and early C19th. The philanthropist Mary James lived at No. 5 between 1900-43, nicknamed 'The Angel of Paradise Row'. The Jewish boxer, Daniel Mendoza (1764-1836) was born in Aldgate, and lived at No. 3 Paradise Row for a time, which is commemorated by a blue plaque. He was Champion of England and defended his title in 1790 in a fight lasting 72 rounds; he founded a Boxing Academy in the City of London and wrote ‘The Art of Boxing’ in 1789. Another plaque commemorates Mendoza in Queen Mary College Campus (q.v.), near where he was buried in the Sephardi Nuevo Cemetery (q.v.). Erected by the Jewish East End Celebration Society the plaque was unveiled by Sir Henry Cooper on 4 September 2008.
In 1888 the Trustees proposed to sell part of the Bethnal Green Poor Lands for building a town hall, hospital and library, and for a time the West Paddock site was under discussion. In 1891 a new scheme proposed by the Charity Commissioners was agreed by the Trustees that granted land to the new LCC for a permanently maintained recreation ground with small portions to be sold or exchanged, one of which to the south became the site of Bethnal Green Library. Paradise Gardens today consists of a strip of grass with notable planes, with a curving path running through it, and is enclosed by railings.
Following consultation with residents in 2017, development at the north end of Paradise Gardens has taken place and the park has been refurbished with a new shrub bed, pathways, benches, bins and signage installed.
The site is within the EH Register entry for Bethnal Green Gardens. Paradise Gardens is a small strip of land that once formed part of the Bethnal Green commonland within the Manor of Stepney, which was purchased by a group of local property owners in 1678. It later became the subject of a Trust Deed that prevented building over it and enabled the profits from leasing the land to benefit the poor of the parish in the form of coal. The charity that was set up was called the 'Poor Land' Charity. The foundation deed of 1690 also set out that the 16 trees within this area were to be maintained. The small area of garden now Paradise Gardens complements the adjacent Bethnal Green Gardens and Museum Gardens (q.q.v.) and was a 'west paddock' let to a gardener at £10 a year. However the Trustees of the charity had little benefit from this due to the need to constantly repair the fences as the plants were regularly stolen, allegedly by the inhabitants of Paradise Row.
The range of terraced houses that make up Paradise Row date from the C18th and early C19th. The philanthropist Mary James lived at No. 5 between 1900-43, nicknamed 'The Angel of Paradise Row'. The Jewish boxer, Daniel Mendoza (1764-1836) was born in Aldgate, and lived at No. 3 Paradise Row for a time, which is commemorated by a blue plaque. He was Champion of England and defended his title in 1790 in a fight lasting 72 rounds; he founded a Boxing Academy in the City of London and wrote ‘The Art of Boxing’ in 1789. Another plaque commemorates Mendoza in Queen Mary College Campus (q.v.), near where he was buried in the Sephardi Nuevo Cemetery (q.v.). Erected by the Jewish East End Celebration Society the plaque was unveiled by Sir Henry Cooper on 4 September 2008.
In 1888 the Trustees proposed to sell part of the Bethnal Green Poor Lands for building a town hall, hospital and library, and for a time the West Paddock site was under discussion. In 1891 a new scheme proposed by the Charity Commissioners was agreed by the Trustees that granted land to the new LCC for a permanently maintained recreation ground with small portions to be sold or exchanged, one of which to the south became the site of Bethnal Green Library. Paradise Gardens today consists of a strip of grass with notable planes, with a curving path running through it, and is enclosed by railings.
Following consultation with residents in 2017, development at the north end of Paradise Gardens has taken place and the park has been refurbished with a new shrub bed, pathways, benches, bins and signage installed.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ349828 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1621 |
| Site Ownership | LB Tower Hamlets |
| Site Management | Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | C19th |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 2-11 Paradise Row |
| 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 | No |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bethnal Green Gardens |
| 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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Museum Gardens were once part of Bethnal Green Poor's Lands, an area of former manorial waste that under a trust deed of 1690 was administered to benefit the local poor. The Poor's Lands were divided in 1825 when a site was purchased to build St John's Church. In 1872 a parcel of land in the northern section was purchased to erect the Bethnal Green Museum, with the proviso that land not needed for building would become a public recreation ground. As a result the land south of the museum was laid out and opened as ornamental public gardens in 1875, originally known as Bethnal Green Museum Garden. The garden contains mature trees and continues to have formal displays, including a raised mound of carpet bedding.
Museum Gardens were once part of Bethnal Green Poor's Lands, an area of former manorial waste that under a trust deed of 1690 was administered to benefit the local poor. The Poor's Lands were divided in 1825 when a site was purchased to build St John's Church. In 1872 a parcel of land in the northern section was purchased to erect the Bethnal Green Museum, with the proviso that land not needed for building would become a public recreation ground. As a result the land south of the museum was laid out and opened as ornamental public gardens in 1875, originally known as Bethnal Green Museum Garden. The garden contains mature trees and continues to have formal displays, including a raised mound of carpet bedding.
Bethnal Green Museum was built on part of the remnants of the old Bethnal Green, 4.5 acres of which were sold in 1868 for the new Museum with the proviso that land not built on was to be public recreation grounds. In 1872 the 'Brompton Boilers' Museum was re-erected here, a temporary structure that had been built in 1856 to house the new South Kensington Museum, and opened as the Bethnal Green Museum of Science and Arts in 1872. In 1974 it became the V&A Museum of Childhood. The plane trees south of the building were planted in 1872 to form a division between the Museum and the Green and now separate the museum grounds from the public gardens. The museum is bounded by its original railings, with garden to the front and on either side, predominantly lawn with perimeter trees. 'The Eagle Slayer', a bronze statue of a boy was erected in the north-west corner of the grounds in 1927, but later relocated inside the museum, following substantial refurbishment works completed in 2006, which included re-modelling the front landscaping of the grounds. In 2020 the Museum closed for extensive alterations to the interior of the building, re-opening as Young V & A on 1 July 2023, with three new galleries.
Bethnal Green Gardens were once part of Bethnal Green Poor's Lands, an area of former manorial waste that under a trust deed of 1690 was administered to benefit the local poor. This part of the Green was purchased by the LCC in 1891 and laid out as public gardens that opened in 1895. Bethnal House on the east side of the gardens is on the site of a C16th mansion, Kirby's Castle, which was later used as a Lunatic Asylum from the late C18th, part of which was converted as Bethnal Green Public Library in 1914. The gardens have an area of formal planting in the north with open grass and sports facilities predominantly in the south. A memorial to victims of the worst civilian disaster of WWII when 173 people died in Bethnal Green underground station, which was then being used as an air raid shelter, was installed in the north-west corner, completed in 2017.
