Description
This small triangular site known as St John's Island Site was donated for public use by deed gift in 1816, its maintenance later becoming the responsibility of Finsbury Borough Council. At one time enclosed by railings, by 1928 it was 'an asphalt area with a few trees'. Today there are mature plane trees, shrubs and a number of circular raised beds surrounded by low stone walls that incorporate seating.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St John Street Triangle |
|---|---|
| Site location | St John Street/Percival Street |
| Postcode | EC1 |
| What3Words | ///shovels.smiled.crowd |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Farringdon, Barbican (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan). Rail: Farringdon, Barbican. Bus: 153 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2017 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ316825 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.05 |
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Greenspace |
| Dates | 1816 |
| 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 | Islington |
| 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 | Local/strategic view corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Until c.1805 the site was used as a 'Greenyard', a pound for stray animals. The Northampton Estate was developed as a residential area around the Manor House, which was later demolished in 1896. The district later became overcrowded as London expanded and many houses in the area became workshops and tenements. Northampton Institute was built as a Working Man's College in 1896-98 and later became a polytechnic and then City University in 1966. Only the south-east and south-west sides of Northampton Square still have the original buildings, with a few early C19th houses surrounding the railed central garden, although much bomb damage occurred. The gardens were opened to the public in July 1885 with assistance from MPGA, the layout by Fanny Wilkinson.
St James Clerkenwell Church Garden is on the site of the former C12th St Mary's Nunnery run by Augustinian canonesses. When the Nunnery was dissolved in 1539 its church was converted into the Clerkenwell parish church of St James. The old church was rebuilt in 1625, later replaced by the current building in 1788-92. The steeple was rebuilt in 1849 and the church was later restored in 1882. Among those buried here are many of the 200 Islington Protestants martyred at Smithfield in the Reformation in the 1550s. The churchyard was laid out and opened as a public garden in 1890. The garden has notable London plane trees and is enclosed by C19th railings and piers. In 1987 part of the medieval cloisters from the former C12th nunnery were excavated in the churchyard garden.
St John's Churchyard was once within the Priory of St John of Jerusalem founded in 1144 by the Knights Hospitallers. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in c.1540, the Priory and its church were used for other purposes including a private chapel and library, a tavern, and later became a parish church of St John's Clerkenwell. Jerusalem Passage was the site of the Priory's postern gate, demolished in 1780. In 1931 the church was acquired by the modern Order of St John as their Priory Church. After it closed to burial, St John's Churchyard was laid out by the MPGA as a small enclosed public garden with a few headstones remaining and a fine plane tree.