St John's Gardens

The former burial ground of St John's, Smith Square (q.v.) is now a large, well tended public garden wedged in between the cliff-like blocks of Westminster Hospital. The burial ground was consecrated in 1731 but soon became overcrowded. In the late C18th 'the depredations of the notorious resurrection men were particularly audacious in the burial ground attached to St John's'. An extension was acquired in 1823 but was closed in 1853. The land remained neglected until it was laid out as a public garden by a local committee with the involvement of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association, which provided six garden seats. The cost of layout was £1,500 and was raised by public subscription and included a donation by the Duke of Westminster. The garden was opened on 23 May 1885.

The garden is raised and surrounded by railings, replacements of the originals, but the steps and footings of the old railings survive. The garden contains good trees including gingko, specimen maple and London plane, a central lawn bordered with barley sugar edging, traversed by paths. A fountain and pool are in the centre on the site of a shelter erected in 1887, all retaining a C19th atmosphere although perhaps of later date. Many of the old gravestones are stacked against the perimeter of the garden and a few choicer monuments have been left as garden features; particularly fine is the granite tomb of 'Chrs. Cass, Master Mason to His Maj. Ordnance'.

St John's Gardens were re-landscaped in 2000/01 as part of the development of the old Westminster Hospital site adjacent to the garden. As part of the works a new fountain was installed to replace the then derelict one and in 2005 a public art commission by artist/jeweller Wendy Ramshaw resulted in a series of metalwork grilles set into the existing red-brick brick wall between the gardens and the former Westminster Hospital. It was commissioned through a Section 106 requirement on the developer of the hospital into upmarket residential accommodation.