Description
The Salters' Garden lies between the old Roman City Wall and the new Salters' Hall built here in 1972-76. The Company, founded in 1394, had its first hall in Bread Street, then moved to Oxford House on St Swithin's Lane. It re-located here after the hall was bombed in WWII. The garden was originally laid out and opened in June 1981, but was re-designed in 1995 to commemorate the Company's 600th anniversary. Sunk below road level, the old City Wall forms its southern boundary. It is formally laid out as a knot garden and has three fountains, that to the west end set within a circular pond, and a central decorative urn near the Roman Wall.
Practical Information
| Site location | Salters' Hall, Fore Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC2Y 5DE |
| What3Words | ///atoms.rivers.among |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Private but open to the public Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm/5.30pm. |
| Events | Has opened for OGSW |
| Public Transport | Tube: Moorgate (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Northern, Metropolitan), St Paul's (Central). Rail: Moorgate. Bus: 100, 76, 133, 141 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Salters' Garden lies between the old Roman City Wall and the new Salters' Hall, designed in 1968 by Sir Basil Spence and built in 1972-76. The first Salters' Garden was opened on 2 June 1981 by the Lord Mayor of London, but was later redesigned in 1995 by David Hicks with funding from City Changes Partnership Scheme. It was opened on 19 June 1995 to commemorate the Company's 600th anniversary. The Worshipful Company of Salters was founded in 1394, its first hall was in Bread Street by c.1497 and in 1641 it moved to Oxford House on St Swithin's Lane, the site of the house of the first Lord Mayor of the City of London. This Hall was damaged by bombing in the Blitz and later demolished, and the site is now that of St Swithin's House (q.v.); the Company then moved to the present site, although the wrought-iron gates with birds at the Fore Street entrance were originally in St Swithin's Lane, dating from 1887.
The new garden, which is sunk below road level and has the old City Wall as its southern boundary, is formally laid out with areas of lawn, hedging, pergolas and gravel paths and paving. There are three fountains, one adjacent to the building and one at each end of the garden, that to the west set within a circular pond, and a central decorative urn near the Roman Wall.
The new garden, which is sunk below road level and has the old City Wall as its southern boundary, is formally laid out with areas of lawn, hedging, pergolas and gravel paths and paving. There are three fountains, one adjacent to the building and one at each end of the garden, that to the west set within a circular pond, and a central decorative urn near the Roman Wall.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ324816 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0796 |
| Site Ownership | Salters' Company |
| Site Management | Salters' Company |
| Dates | 1981; 1995 |
| Designers | David Hicks (1995) |
| Listed Structures | SAM: section of Roman Wall |
| 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 | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | City Walkway Network |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
This and the Barbican were the worst bombed areas in the City in WW II and as a result were substantially rebuilt post-war for both commercial and residential use. This was part of a scheme drawn up in 1954/5 by the Corporation of London and LCC to create a new business district around the London Wall area. There was provision for gardens and open spaces, and fragments of the old Roman City walls and older buildings also remained amidst the new architecture. This included the ruined tower of St Alphage Church, on the site of the C14th priory church of Elsing Spital. To the north, the former churchyard of St Alphage had already been made into a small public garden by 1872. The garden is bounded to the north by a high section of the old Roman Wall and to the west of the main garden is an extension with a lower paved area. These gardens together with the restored tower were re-landscaped and incorporated into London Wall Place, a commercial scheme by Brookfield, with Make architects.
The site of the garden of the Brewers' Hall consists of a series of raised beds and seating in an area of pavement. The Brewers' Company is one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London and one of the first Guilds to have its own Hall, which stood on the same site as the present one. By 1422 Brewers' Hall was regularly let out for use to other City Livery Companies, Guilds and other groups including the 'footballpleyers', one of the earliest known references to football. When the Hall was rebuilt in 1960, the site of the garden was taken over by the Corporation of London, since when it has been re-landscaped a number of times. The statue of 'The Gardener' by Karin Jonzen, 1971 was relocated here from Moorgate c.2005.
Monkwell Square was formed post WWII on the site of Monkwell Street, the name probably derived from a medieval family called Muchewella. The central space was originally laid out formally with grass, shaped beds and a series of circular planters, paving and seating. In the 1980s, the 1960s Lee House was replaced by Alban Gate designed by Terry Farrell Partnership and the square was re-designed, much reduced in size. The square is overlooked by residential accommodation on two sides and by the Barber Surgeons' Hall to the east. The landscape design has a central raised area with balustrades, an obelisk and planting in each corner.
