Description
Queen's Gardens were laid out as three narrow garden enclosures for the private use of occupiers of the surrounding mid C19th houses, and owned by the freeholders of those houses. By 1928 a Garden Committee was established, its members appointed annually at a meeting of the residents, at which time the garden rate for the coming year was also agreed. However it appears that many of the owners did not honour this commitment and 'heavy arrears' were due to the extent that the Committee was considering making payment for upkeep of the garden compulsory. At that time the enclosures were described as 'surrounded by a hedge and laid out with lawns and flower beds'. The long narrow garden, with terraces to north and south, is still in three parts as shown on the 1872 OS Map. It is surrounded by railings and has simple arches over the gates. There are a number of notable lime and plane trees, and oval shrub beds.
Practical Information
| Site location | Queen's Gardens, Bayswater |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 |
| What3Words | ///soup.looked.slang |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, residents only |
| Public Transport | Tube: Lancaster Gate, Queensway (Central) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ262809 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.16 |
| Site Ownership | Private |
| Dates | Mid C19th |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Buildings: on the north side Nos. 1 - 6 (incl. No. 22 Devonshire St) and Nos. 12 - 33; on the south side Nos. 34 - 65 and 66 - 68. |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bayswater |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
Bayswater was a rural area until the mid C19th when it was developed for housing. Part of the land here was owned by the Craven Pest House Charity and Craven Settled Estates, after the 3rd Earl of Craven purchased 3 acres of land and built pesthouses here in the 1730s to serve the local parishes. Terraced housing of Craven Hill Gardens was built on the site of the pesthouses and two gardens were provided for the leaseholders, north and south of Craven Hill, which remained in the ownership of the Craven Pest House Charity and the Craven Settled Estates respectively. The northern enclosure is now Hempel Garden Square, the private garden of The Hempel hotel, landscaped as a Japanese-style Zen garden.
Cleveland Square was laid out in 1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The stucco-fronted houses overlook the private garden provided for the residents. The present garden has play areas, bedding, a privet hedge, and fine London plane trees as well as mature plum and cherry trees. A serpentine path through the garden has Victorian edging tiles, a remnant of the original geometrical pattern shown on the OS Map of 1872. The railings are post-1960 with the entrance on the south side. A plaque commemorates a barrage balloon moored in the garden in WWII. A Jubilee Bed was planted in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Cleveland Gardens was laid out in c.1855 when the formerly rural area was being developed as part of the Paddington Estate. The garden was entirely refurbished in 2006, the work undertaken by the Residents' Association with the help of grants from EH and WCC. The scheme reinstated traditional Victorian railings to replace the old chain link fencing, paths were reformed and edged, and the garden was replanted. 3 notable London plane trees remain from the earlier garden. A condition of the grant aid was that the garden had to open to the public on 21 days a year.
