Description
Savoy Churchyard contains the former Chapel Royal that was built in 1510-16 as part of the Hospital of St John and restored after a fire in 1864/5. The Hospital was built near the site of the Savoy Palace built by Peter, future Count of Savoy on land granted by Henry III in 1245. The palace, later owned by John of Gaunt, was sacked during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, remaining derelict until 1505 when it was demolished. The churchyard is now laid out as a garden with an oval lawn surrounded by a stone plinth, shrubs and some fine trees, with gravestones on the perimeter.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Churchyard of The Queen's Chapel of Savoy; Chapel Royal; Chapel of the Royal Victoria Order |
|---|---|
| Site location | Savoy Hill, Savoy Street, off The Strand |
| Postcode | WC2R 0DA |
| What3Words | ///units.gifted.grit |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 11am-3pm Tuesday-Friday. Chapel open 11.30am-3.30pm Tues-Fri + services 11am Sunday and 12.30pm Wednesday |
| Public Transport | Tube: Temple (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
This atmospheric churchyard off the steeply sloping Savoy Street contains the former Chapel Royal (now the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy) built in 1510-16 as part of the Hospital of St John by Henry VII and restored after a fire by Sydney Smirke in 1864/5. Nearby was the site of the Savoy Palace that preceded the Hospital of St John, built by Peter, future Count of Savoy on land granted to him by Henry III in 1245. The palace was acquired by Edmond of Lancaster, Edward I's brother in 1284 and was later owned by John of Gaunt when it was sacked during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. After this it remained derelict until 1505, then demolished to make way for the new hospital. The Chapel remains in the ownership of the Queen in Her Right as Duke of Lancaster. Both the Chapel and its churchyard are the responsibility of the Duchy of Lancaster, which holds the freehold of 1 hectare of land between The Strand and the Embankment, part of the Manor of Savoy. The former churchyard, which is high above the level of the street, has been laid out as a garden, retaining a number of gravestones that attest to its former use. The cast-iron railings and gates were erected as part of Sidney Smirke's restoration programme of c.1864. In 2003 the churchyard gardens were re-landscaped in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee and have an oval lawn within a surrounding stone plinth, planted with shrubs and having some fine trees; a number of gravestones are on the perimeter.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ305807 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Duchy of Lancaster |
| Site Management | Duchy of Lancaster |
| Dates | 1510-16; 1860s |
| Designers | Sydney Smirke |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Chapel. LBII: cast-iron railings and gates. |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Savoy |
| 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
Victoria Embankment Gardens comprise a series of public gardens created from 1864 following the embankment of the Thames by MBW's Chief Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, although Sir Christopher Wren had conceived of a continuous embankment in 1666. The four landscaped sections are all bounded on the river side by Victoria Embankment, and in each are formal gardens, statues and monuments. Temple Gardens is the most northerly section. The Main Garden, created on the site of Adelphi Gardens, was the second to be laid out and opened in May 1875. Whitehall Garden followed, laid out in 1875. The Ministry of Defence section was laid out in the 1950s when the Ministry of Defence was built between 1939-59; in the north-west corner are remains of the old Whitehall Steps to the Thames, 'Queen Mary Steps', discovered in 1939. In addition, Temple Place, the balustraded roof terrace above The Temple Station (1870), has long provided additional public open space, and since 2021 has been the site for a contemporary sculpture project entitled The Artist's Garden.
Victoria Embankment Gardens comprise a series of public gardens created from 1864 following the embankment of the Thames by MBW's Chief Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, although Sir Christopher Wren had conceived of a continuous embankment in 1666. The four landscaped sections are all bounded on the river side by Victoria Embankment, and in each are formal gardens, statues and monuments. Temple Gardens is the most northerly section. The Main Garden, created on the site of Adelphi Gardens, was the second to be laid out and opened in May 1875. Whitehall Garden followed, laid out in 1875. The Ministry of Defence section was laid out in the 1950s when the Ministry of Defence was built between 1939-59; in the north-west corner are remains of the old Whitehall Steps to the Thames, 'Queen Mary Steps', discovered in 1939. In addition, Temple Place, the balustraded roof terrace above The Temple Station (1870), has long provided additional public open space, and since 2021 has been the site for a contemporary sculpture project entitled The Artist's Garden.
The enclosed burial ground to St Paul's Church Covent Garden was consecrated in 1638, but the building accounts say little of the churchyard, beyond its planting with 'hay seed'. In 1853 the ground was closed to burials, and in 1855 the tombstones were removed or laid flat. Between 1878-82 the churchyard was altered under the direction of Thomas Cubitt, the ground west of the church re-levelled and remodelled. It is also known as Inigo Jones Garden after the architect of the church, which itself is nicknamed The Actors' Church due to its setting in the heart of theatreland.
Drury Lane Gardens is a small public garden created in 1877 on the site of a former burial ground of St Martin-in-the-Fields, the first burial ground to be made into a public garden in Westminster following closure as a result of the Burial Acts, in this case due to the intervention of Octavia Hill. The mortuary and lodge survive either side of the entrance, together with C19th gate piers. The raised garden is largely taken up with a playground, sports court and hard landscaping but also has a seating area shaded by a pergola, with shrubberies and bedding displays. A number of tombstones are ranged along the northern boundary.
