Description
St Margaret Westminster is surrounded by its former burial ground, which had probably been in use since the C12th until it was cleansed of gravestones and grassed over in 1881. Today it is laid to lawn and traversed by a single path with good mature trees and a few shrubs near the church. No tombs or gravestones survive apart from one railed tomb slab to Alexander Davies (d.1665), who owned lands that later belonged to the Grosvenor family. The site is surrounded by good early C18th cast-iron railings, obelisk piers and octagonal stone bollards; also remaining are six mid C19th lamp standards.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Westminster Churchyard |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Margaret Street/Parliament Square, Westminster |
| Postcode | SW1P 3JX |
| What3Words | ///free.served.corn |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. Church normally open Mon-Fri 9.30am-3.30pm, Sat 9.30am-1.30pm, Sun 2-5pm |
| Events | Music recitals, lunchtime talks in church |
| Public Transport | Tube: Westminster (District, Circle, Jubilee); St James's Park (District, Circle). Bus: 11, 24, 88, 148, 211, 3, 12, 53, 87, 159, 453 |
| Research Updated | 1 August 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Margaret Westminster was probably founded in the late C11th and is first recorded under Abbot Herbert in the C12th and rebuilt in the time of Edward I in the late C13th/early C14th. The current church has remnants dating from c.1482 and it is the only pre-Reformation parish church left in Westminster, although the building has been much altered over the years. The churchyard is to the west of the church between Parliament Square (q.v.) and the path running parallel to Westminster Abbey (q.v.). It was grassed over in 1881, and few traces of the hundreds of burials remain today. Among those buried here were William Caxton, Wenceslas Hollar and James Rumsey. The remains of a number of followers of Oliver Cromwell, originally buried in Westminster Abbey, were reburied in St Margaret's Churchyard in the C17th, commemorated by a plaque placed here by the Cromwell Association near the west door of the church. Since 1928 each November the churchyard has been the setting for the Field of Remembrance organised by the Royal British Legion Poppy Factory when it is divided into plots assigned to the military and civilian services where relatives and friends can planting a poppy cross.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ301795 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | The Vicar and Churchwardens of St Margaret's Westminster |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | C12th |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Margaret's Church. LBII: railings, obelisks, bollards and 6 lamp standards. |
| 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 | Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - World Heritage Site: Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church |
| Other LA Designation | Area of Special Archaeological Priority |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Abingdon Street Gardens, also known as College Green, was laid out in the 1960s when C18th houses along Abingdon Street were demolished after WWII. The land was once part of the Old Palace Yard of the Palace of Westminster. A strip of lawn bisected by a path, the Green contains Henry Moore's sculpture 'Knife Edge Two Piece' (1967). To the north is the C14th Jewel Tower with a fragment of moat and medieval quay, beyond which is another remnant of Old Palace Yard, laid out as a simple lawn with 2 mature plane trees and a memorial Portland stone statue of George V by Sir William Reid Dick, set on an imposing base designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1947). This area of garden abuts the rear of Westminster Abbey's octagonal C13th Chapter House. It is overlooked from the south by two fine C18th stone-fronted houses in Palace Yard.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Parliament Square was first laid out as a public ceremonial square in 1868 designed by Edward Middleton Barry, son of Sir Charles Barry. The intention was to provide a suitable approach to Sir Charles's newly rebuilt Palace of Westminster, now commonly known as the Houses of Parliament. The square was later redesigned by George Grey Wornum in preparation for the Festival of Britain Year in 1951. His scheme incorporated existing London plane trees on the west side and the four existing statues of politicians and created a terrace garden with flower beds and large stone jardinières. The remainder was laid to grass, except for a paved walk with flower beds and a raised terrace on the north side. The square has undergone relatively few modifications since 1950, but new statues have been added. The square is overlooked by a number of important buildings including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Chapel.
Parliament Square was first laid out as a public ceremonial square in 1868 designed by Edward Middleton Barry, son of Sir Charles Barry. The intention was to provide a suitable approach to Sir Charles's newly rebuilt Palace of Westminster, now commonly known as the Houses of Parliament. The square was later redesigned by George Grey Wornum in preparation for the Festival of Britain Year in 1951. His scheme incorporated existing London plane trees on the west side and the four existing statues of politicians and created a terrace garden with flower beds and large stone jardinières. The remainder was laid to grass, except for a paved walk with flower beds and a raised terrace on the north side. The square has undergone relatively few modifications since 1950, but new statues have been added. The square is overlooked by a number of important buildings including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Chapel.
Chapter House Garden is opposite the Palace of Westminster and adjacent to part of the Old Palace Yard, one of two courtyards of the medieval palace.
