Description
The remains of the disused burial ground of St Mary's Plaistow is situated in the corner of a recreation ground, which was laid out by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association in 1900. The design was undertaken by Fanny Wilkinson, landscape gardener for the MPGA, for whom she designed over 75 public gardens in London, many of them former burial grounds. Today the site is largely grass with some scattered trees and a playground. The remaining gravestones are clustered in one corner of the site near a modest C20th church located just outside the recreation ground. The site abuts May Green, an open space maintained by Newham's Parks Service.
Practical Information
| Site location | St Mary's Road, Plaistow |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E13 |
| What3Words | ///noble.colleague.garden |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Newham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | playground |
| Public Transport | Tube: Plaistow (District, Hammersmith & City). |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Plaistow was a hamlet recorded from the C15th as a settlement on the edge of the marshes. By the 1740s it had become the largest hamlet in West Ham parish, probably centred on a large green with a number of larger houses. St Mary Plaistow was the first new church to be built when West Ham parish had grown too large for the parish church. It was built as a chapel of ease designed by Edward Blore and built in 1828-9, later replaced by a larger church designed by Blomfield in 1889-94. The current church dates from 1981, although the old church schools of 1831 remain in May Road, a rare reminder of the old village in an area now dominated by post-war development.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ405833 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Newham |
| Site Management | Environment Department |
| Dates | 1900 |
| Designers | MPGA (Fanny Wilkinson) |
| 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 | Newham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
A 3.81 hectare Victorian park with mature trees and amenity grassland with elements of formal planting. Part of Plaistow Park is on the grounds of the former Essex House, which dated back to Tudor times, demolished in 1836. West Ham Council acquired the land to create the public park, which opened as Balaam Street Recreation Ground in June 1894. It was laid out to designs of the MPGA's landscape gardener, providing ornamental gardens, recreational and children's play areas, one of a number of parks provided in the Borough in the 1890s. It was later extended in the north and east, and new facilities have been added over the years. Although it has lost its bandstand and other original features, the ornamental garden with fountain and radial paths at the north-east corner is largely intact. It was renamed Plaistow Park in 1999 when restoration works took place.
Opened in 1929 and laid out by West Ham Council, Lister Gardens was named after Lord Joseph Lister, founder of modern antiseptic surgery, who was born in Upton House, West Ham in 1827. Lister Gardens is one of the smallest public gardens in the borough and features ornamental flower beds, curving brick-edged beds largely planted with shrubs near the children's playground, a system of curving paths, tennis courts, and is surrounded by modern railings.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
West Ham Park opened as a public park in 1887, laid out on the former grounds of Upton House, an estate dating back to the C16th. From 1762-80 it was owned by Dr John Fothergill, a Quaker physician and noted botanist, who planted a famous botanic garden here. It was later owned by the Gurney family, when it was known as Ham House, but the last private owner, John Gurney was keen to sell the property. Following a long campaign it was acquired by the Corporation of London in 1874 and laid out by 1887 incorporating some of the earlier features, but developed with new amenities appropriate for the public's enjoyment.
West Ham Park opened as a public park in 1887, laid out on the former grounds of Upton House, an estate dating back to the C16th. From 1762-80 it was owned by Dr John Fothergill, a Quaker physician and noted botanist, who planted a famous botanic garden here. It was later owned by the Gurney family, when it was known as Ham House, but the last private owner, John Gurney was keen to sell the property. Following a long campaign it was acquired by the Corporation of London in 1874 and laid out by 1887 incorporating some of the earlier features, but developed with new amenities appropriate for the public's enjoyment.
