Description
Although The Phoenix Garden was created in 1984, it is on part of the former site of an orchard belonging to St Giles Leper Hospital established in the C12th by Queen Maud. The site was later church land belonging to St Giles-in-the-Fields nearby. It was built over for housing by the early C20th but following bomb damage in WWII it became a car park. It was created as a community garden under the auspices of Covent Garden Open Spaces Association and was laid out in summer 1984. It is run as an ecological garden, with a mix of ornamental and native species to encourage a range of wildlife.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Phoenix Community Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Giles Passage off New Compton Street; Stacey Street |
| Postcode | WC2H 8DE |
| What3Words | ///flip.games.miles |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - 8pm |
| Facilities | Membership scheme that includes quarterly newsletter and invitations to events (£15 pa in 2020) |
| Events | Various events/activities |
| Public Transport | Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern), Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly). Bus: 14, 19, 24, 29, 38, 176. |
| Research Updated | 8 August 2020 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Although a new community garden created in 1984, The Phoenix Garden is on part of the former site of an orchard that belonged to St Giles Leper Hospital established in the C12th by Queen Maud. It was later church land belonging to St Giles-in-the-Fields (q.v.) whose churchyard is nearby. It is located behind the Phoenix Theatre. The site was built over for housing by the early C20th but following bomb damage in World War II it became a car park.
It was created as a community garden under the auspices of Covent Garden Open Spaces Association who in 1981 had started campaigning for permission to use the site, which was granted in 1984. Financial assistance from Greater London Council and LB Camden enabled the garden to be laid out in summer 1984. Trees including rowan, willow, walnut, birch and ginkgo were planted as were shrubs and native wild flowers; a rockery and small pond were constructed, and seating and a children's play area provided. A bench was donated by the actor Michael Palin in 1995. In 2017 the community building was constructed, which is used as a visitors centre and for events, and the garden is registered as a Camden wedding venue.
The Phoenix Garden is a registered charity, overseen by a Board of Trustees, and is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers. The garden is run as an ecological project, with a mix of ornamental and native species to encourage a range of wildlife, and areas have been developed as habitats for wildlife. The garden's thin rubble-filled soil and urban heat island effect due to its Central London location has meant that half-hardy plants such as the Giant Viper’s Bugloss (native to La Palma) can thrive here.
The garden has won first prize for Best Environmental Garden in Camden in Bloom since 2004.It has regularly opened for events such as OGSW and London Open House, and hosts the Agricultural Show and St Giles Fayre, which celebrated its 10th year in 2019.
It was created as a community garden under the auspices of Covent Garden Open Spaces Association who in 1981 had started campaigning for permission to use the site, which was granted in 1984. Financial assistance from Greater London Council and LB Camden enabled the garden to be laid out in summer 1984. Trees including rowan, willow, walnut, birch and ginkgo were planted as were shrubs and native wild flowers; a rockery and small pond were constructed, and seating and a children's play area provided. A bench was donated by the actor Michael Palin in 1995. In 2017 the community building was constructed, which is used as a visitors centre and for events, and the garden is registered as a Camden wedding venue.
The Phoenix Garden is a registered charity, overseen by a Board of Trustees, and is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers. The garden is run as an ecological project, with a mix of ornamental and native species to encourage a range of wildlife, and areas have been developed as habitats for wildlife. The garden's thin rubble-filled soil and urban heat island effect due to its Central London location has meant that half-hardy plants such as the Giant Viper’s Bugloss (native to La Palma) can thrive here.
The garden has won first prize for Best Environmental Garden in Camden in Bloom since 2004.It has regularly opened for events such as OGSW and London Open House, and hosts the Agricultural Show and St Giles Fayre, which celebrated its 10th year in 2019.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ299811 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1203 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Friends of the Phoenix |
| Dates | 1984 |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Denmark Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Central London Area |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local). London Squares Preservation Act 1931. |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
St Giles-in-the-Fields Church was built in the 1730s on the site of an earlier church and also of two plague pits of the Black Death. The church is surrounded by a small railed churchyard, with a lych gate on St Giles High Street in the style of a Doric triumphal arch. Following closure as a burial ground, St Giles' Churchyard was later laid out as a garden and opened to the public in 1891, maintained by Holborn Borough Council. The garden has a few tombs remaining; gravestones are ranged along the east boundary wall adjacent to a paved area to the east of the church shaded by mature trees; York stone paths run through grass, and behind the church is a formal area of ornamental planting. The play facilities in the church grounds were improved in c.2015 through funding from the Pocket Parks initiative.
The House of Charity, later called the House of St Barnabas-in-Soho, was established in 1846 as one of the first hostels in London. From 1862 it occupied No 1 Greek Street, a fine C18th house, and provided temporary accommodation for homeless people. Its private chapel was built in 1862-5. The work of the charity has continued to this day, although the house is no longer residential. The small courtyard garden, enclosed on two sides by the house and chapel, has paved areas, some flower beds and a number of mature trees, including a mulberry under which Charles Dickens may have sat in 1859 to plan 'A Tale of Two Cities', nearby Manette Street recalling his character, Dr Manette.
Soho Square was built in the late 1670s, originally called King Square after Charles II. It is possibly the earliest London square to be built around a purposely laid out and enclosed garden. It was laid out in 1680-81 on the site of Kemp's Field, or Soho Fields. A statue of Charles II by Caius Gabriel Cibber of 1681 was placed in the centre of the Square but removed c1875 and replaced by a timbered building, part tool-shed, part arbour, and only returned during 1938. The garden was first opened to the public in 1954 when Soho Square Gardens Committee leased it to WCC. The current railings and gates were provided by the Gardens Committee and the City of Westminster in 1959.