Description
Primrose Gardens was originally Stanley Gardens, named after a Dean of Westminster of that name, the Deans being landowners here. At one time it was used by Hampstead Cricket Club. The houses of Stanley Gardens, with the elongated oval central garden, were built in the 1880s. The garden was acquired by Hampstead Borough Council in 1920, the name changing to Primrose Gardens in 1939. The garden consists of two railed enclosures with grass and trees, and with a small central paved seating area between them.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Stanley Gardens |
|---|---|
| Site location | Primrose Gardens |
| Postcode | NW3 |
| What3Words | ///leap.cage.spite |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Belsize Park (Northern). London Overground: Gospel Oak. Bus: 168, C11, 268. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Primrose Gardens was originally known as Stanley Gardens, so-called after a Dean of Westminster of that name, the Deans being owners of the land which was at one time used by Hampstead Cricket Club. The houses of Stanley Gardens, with an elongated oval central garden, were built in the 1880s. The name changed to Primrose Gardens in 1939. The garden is railed as two enclosures between which is a small central paved seating area with low walls/raised beds either side; the two garden areas have grass and trees, but no other features. At either end is a 1927 K2 type telephone kiosk, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. The garden was acquired by Hampstead Borough Council in 1920 and in 1928 it was described as surrounded by a privet hedge and laid out as a shrubbery with a few trees. It was protected from building by the London Squares and Enclosures (Preservation) Act of 1906.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ274847 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1189 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Parks & Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1880s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: two telephone kiosks |
| 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 | Belsize Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local) |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Antrim Gardens was formerly the site of tennis courts for Kingsley School, which was evacuated in WWII. The site was then laid out as a small public garden with lawn, shrub and flower beds and a children's playground. The garden contains two curiosities presented in 1945: a well-head made from the stonework of the old House of Commons, and a sundial made from a baluster from old Waterloo Bridge. Beyond the garden to the west is an area of allotments, divided by a low brick wall.
Between Chalcot Gardens and Englands Lane is a narrow strip of shrubbery forming the common frontage of the houses of Chalcot Gardens, built in the 1880s and named after a farm which existed as Chaldecote Farm by 1253. By the C17th there was an Upper and a Lower Chalcots Farm, the latter later giving its name to Chalk Farm. An C18th owner of Upper Chalcot Farm, James England, gave his name to the road although it had existed for many years past as a path to the farm.
St Pancras Almshouses were founded in 1850 to provide for poor, deserving parishioners. The original buildings opened in 1852 but the site was soon lost to railway expansion, and the almshouses were rebuilt here in 1859-63. The red-brick buildings are ranged around 3 sides with a square lawn, flower beds and perimeter paths, on the south descending to street level by means of two sets of steps. The raised beds and terrace created by this change in levels are ornamented with amateur rock-work, probably early C20th.
