Description
St Mary Magdalen dates from the C13th, built next to the Priory Church of Bermondsey Abbey dedicated to St Saviour. The Abbey was built in 1082 and existed until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, after which its burial ground was incorporated into that of St Mary Magdalen, which became the parish church. The churchyard was enlarged in 1783 and 1810; after it closed for burials, it was given to the Vestry of Bermondsey in 1882. It was laid out as public garden and opened in 1883. The railed garden has a number of fine C18th and C19th tombs among the grass, wide gravelled paths, a number of beds with roses, floral displays, shrubs and trees include mature plane, Lombardy poplar and ornamental varieties.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Old Bermondsey Parish Church; Bermondsey Abbey Burial Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Bermondsey Street/Tower Bridge Road/Abbey Street |
| Postcode | SE1 3UW |
| What3Words | ///lasts.stops.exile |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: London Bridge. Tube: London Bridge (Northern, Jubilee), Tower Hill (District, Circle) then bus. Bus: 1, 42, 47, 78, 188, 381, C10. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Mary Magdalen dates from the C13th, the medieval parish church rebuilt in 1675-9 to a design of Charles Stanton, with some C15th elements remaining. It was further altered in the 1830s by George Porter. Bermondsey Abbey was founded in 1082 and existed until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537. Among those buried in the Abbey burial ground were Loufstone, Provost or Domesman of London (d.1115) and Thomas, Duke of Gloucester (d.1387) who was subsequently reinterred at Westminster Abbey. The churchyard was enlarged in 1783 and 1810; after it had closed for burial it was conveyed to the Vestry of Bermondsey on 17 May 1882.
It was laid out as a public garden and opened on 28 February 1883; a stone/granite obelisk records this information. On the corner of Abbey Street and Bermondsey Street is a small early C19th watch house, with a plaque recording this as a 'gift of Henry Sterry, 1859'. In the garden is a drinking fountain erected in 1902 by the first Mayor of Bermondsey dedicated to his father. The churchyard contains a number of fine C18th and C19th monuments including the Harrison Family chest tomb of 1851; the C18th chest tomb of John Sargeant; and an C18th table tomb within its original railings near the entrance from Bermondsey Street. Improvements are due to take place to the churchyard as part of Bermondsey streetscape programme.
It was laid out as a public garden and opened on 28 February 1883; a stone/granite obelisk records this information. On the corner of Abbey Street and Bermondsey Street is a small early C19th watch house, with a plaque recording this as a 'gift of Henry Sterry, 1859'. In the garden is a drinking fountain erected in 1902 by the first Mayor of Bermondsey dedicated to his father. The churchyard contains a number of fine C18th and C19th monuments including the Harrison Family chest tomb of 1851; the C18th chest tomb of John Sargeant; and an C18th table tomb within its original railings near the entrance from Bermondsey Street. Improvements are due to take place to the churchyard as part of Bermondsey streetscape programme.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ333794 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.699 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks |
| Dates | 1882 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: St Mary Magdalen Church. LBII: Dedication stele of c.1882; 1902 Drinking Fountain; Gates and gate piers at north-east entrance; chest tomb c1815; Harrison Family chest tomb, 1851; C18th table tomb; C18th stone and brick chest tomb; John Sargeant tomb chest; Watch House. |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bermondsey Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes (proposed - Local Importance) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone |
| Other LA Designation | Churchyard, Tier Three. Strategic Views Backdrop Consultation Zone |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Long Lane Playground is on the site of a Quaker Burial Ground whose perimeter wall remains as the wall to the recreation ground, now laid out as a playground. The garden consists of an area of grass with some shrubs to the front boundary with Long Lane and south of the wall, which remains across the centre of the playground. A slab records the opening of the Society of Friends burial ground in 1697 and its closure in 1855. A stone tablet set into the wall records that it was built in 1749 - 1750 by John Savage; another plaque records a further wall built in 1789 by the Quakers. The burial ground adjoined that of the Neckinger Road Baptist Chapel established in 1690, which joined with the Back Street Independent Chapel and bought the piece of land for a burial ground. Both were laid out as a children's playground by Bermondsey Vestry in 1885. A number of tombstones remain along the walls, one tomb dated 1791. At the entrance on Long Lane are possibly the remains of the meeting house.
Tanner Street Park was opened in 1929. The octagonal Portland stone turret that had capped the tower of the Church of St Olave in Tooley Street was sited in the south-east corner of the recreation ground; St Olave's, built in 1738-9 by Henry Flitcroft and rebuilt in 1843-6 following a fire, was demolished amid much local controversy in 1928. The small park also has a drinking fountain, some ornamental beds, grass and a few trees, with tennis courts and a shelter in the north east.
Leathermarket Gardens were laid out in the 1930s overlooked by flats of the same period. The garden derives its name from the leather market and tanneries that existed here and on the north side is an early C19th leather warehouse. To the east end of the garden is a rectangular sunken area with formal layout of beds. In the central area, separated by a low brick wall, is a raised circular rose garden surrounded by lawn with ornamental trees, behind which is a quiet garden planted with trees and grass, shielded by privet. Adjacent to the west of the gardens is a children's playground. The gardens have been re-landscaped with EH and other funding and are now surrounded by new railings.
