Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
This was originally a private communal garden laid out for the use of residents of St Peter's Square, built 1825-40. It was designed by J C Loudon and reflected his theories about the important relationship between houses and gardens. Threatened with development in 1912, the garden was acquired by Hammersmith Borough Council in 1914, redesigned and opened to the public in 1915. It contains a statue, 'Greek Runner' by Sir William Blake Richmond, whose family donated it to the Council and which was erected here in 1926.
This was originally a private communal garden laid out for the use of residents of St Peter's Square, built 1825-40. It was designed by J C Loudon and reflected his theories about the important relationship between houses and gardens. Threatened with development in 1912, the garden was acquired by Hammersmith Borough Council in 1914, redesigned and opened to the public in 1915. It contains a statue, 'Greek Runner' by Sir William Blake Richmond, whose family donated it to the Council and which was erected here in 1926.
Practical Information
| Site location | St Peter's Square, Hammersmith |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W6 |
| What3Words | ///things.swung.little |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk |
| Events | Various (performances) |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ravenscourt Park (District). Bus: 27, 190, 267, 391, H91 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
Formerly a private communal garden for residents of the surrounding houses, St Peter's Square Garden was acquired by Hammersmith Borough Council in 1914 and opened to the public in 1915. Although some detached houses existed here by the mid C18th, the land was largely fields, commonland and woodland. Residential development of the area from King Street to the Thames began in the early C19th and the St Peter's Estate was built between 1825-1840. The connection with the river was lost when the Great West Road was constructed in the 1950s. The focus of the scheme was St Peter's Square, whose houses and streets were of a more substantial scale than the rest of the locality, and overlooked a rectangular central garden. This was designed by J C Loudon and reflected his theories about the important relationship between houses and gardens. The architect of the surrounding houses may have been his colleague Edward Lapidge, who designed St Peter's Church. The fine houses around the square are generally in groups of three that each give the appearance of being a detached villa, and some retain original ironwork and railings. There was originally an Engine house and well 310 feet deep in the centre of the garden that supplied the surrounding houses with fresh water.
In 1912 the garden was threatened with development but preserved through its acquisition by Hammersmith Borough Council at a cost of £5,660. The Council laid out the garden as a simplified version of the earlier layout with a perimeter path replacing the more elaborate path layout. It was opened to the public in 1915. Three mature trees remain, one at each end and one in the centre. In 1928 the garden was described as 'An attractive and well-kept open space, containing some well-grown trees.' On the site of the Artesian well is a bronze statue, 'Greek Runner' (1879) by Sir William Blake Richmond who lived and worked in the parish. The statue was presented to Hammersmith Borough Council by his family and erected here in July 1926 as a memorial to him. The stone plinth has the following inscription: THIS STATUE REPRESENTING A GREEK RUNNER WAS DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY SIR WILLIAM BLAKE RICHMOND KCB RA WHO LIVED AND WORKED FOR MANY YEARS IN THIS PARISH. IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE HAMMERSMITH BOROUGH COUNCIL BY HIS FAMILY AND WAS ERECTED IN THIS SQUARE AS A MEMORIAL TO HIM BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL JULY 1926. Primarily a portrait painter, Sir William was also a Borough Councillor, a JP, Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford and President of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society. He is best-known for his mosaics in St Paul's Cathedral (1892-1904). The garden has three fine mature trees, and is now surrounded by reproduction cast-iron railings based on the original pattern.
Formerly a private communal garden for residents of the surrounding houses, St Peter's Square Garden was acquired by Hammersmith Borough Council in 1914 and opened to the public in 1915. Although some detached houses existed here by the mid C18th, the land was largely fields, commonland and woodland. Residential development of the area from King Street to the Thames began in the early C19th and the St Peter's Estate was built between 1825-1840. The connection with the river was lost when the Great West Road was constructed in the 1950s. The focus of the scheme was St Peter's Square, whose houses and streets were of a more substantial scale than the rest of the locality, and overlooked a rectangular central garden. This was designed by J C Loudon and reflected his theories about the important relationship between houses and gardens. The architect of the surrounding houses may have been his colleague Edward Lapidge, who designed St Peter's Church. The fine houses around the square are generally in groups of three that each give the appearance of being a detached villa, and some retain original ironwork and railings. There was originally an Engine house and well 310 feet deep in the centre of the garden that supplied the surrounding houses with fresh water.
In 1912 the garden was threatened with development but preserved through its acquisition by Hammersmith Borough Council at a cost of £5,660. The Council laid out the garden as a simplified version of the earlier layout with a perimeter path replacing the more elaborate path layout. It was opened to the public in 1915. Three mature trees remain, one at each end and one in the centre. In 1928 the garden was described as 'An attractive and well-kept open space, containing some well-grown trees.' On the site of the Artesian well is a bronze statue, 'Greek Runner' (1879) by Sir William Blake Richmond who lived and worked in the parish. The statue was presented to Hammersmith Borough Council by his family and erected here in July 1926 as a memorial to him. The stone plinth has the following inscription: THIS STATUE REPRESENTING A GREEK RUNNER WAS DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY SIR WILLIAM BLAKE RICHMOND KCB RA WHO LIVED AND WORKED FOR MANY YEARS IN THIS PARISH. IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE HAMMERSMITH BOROUGH COUNCIL BY HIS FAMILY AND WAS ERECTED IN THIS SQUARE AS A MEMORIAL TO HIM BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL JULY 1926. Primarily a portrait painter, Sir William was also a Borough Councillor, a JP, Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford and President of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society. He is best-known for his mosaics in St Paul's Cathedral (1892-1904). The garden has three fine mature trees, and is now surrounded by reproduction cast-iron railings based on the original pattern.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ220784 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.79 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Site Management | Environment Department, Parks Service (ground maintenance by Quadron Services) |
| Dates | Originally 1825 onwards, redesigned 1915 |
| Designers | J C Loudon (Edward Lapidge as possible architect of surrounding houses) |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Statue of Greek Runner in gardens. Surrounding houses: Nos 1-18 consec and 18A; 19A & 19B, Nos 22-29 consec.(Former laundry building to rear of No. 22 and Nos. 45 to 47 (odd) British Grove included within curtilage); Nos 30-38; Albion House, Radcliffe Lodge, Nos 45, 46 & 46A. |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | Yes |
| NHLE grade | Grade II |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | St Peter's Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Small Local Park; Open Space of Borough-wide Importance |
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
St Peter's Church was built in 1827-29 as part of the St Peter's Estate and is the oldest church in Hammersmith. The original burial ground measured 139 ft x 174 ft. Burials had ceased by 1855 and a small public open space and garden of rest was laid out in 1958 in the former churchyard, with gravestones along the north and east boundary walls. The church lost its close connection with the Thames when the Great West Road was constructed c.1960. On a remnant of land surplus to road building south of the church a small landscaped area was created and a sculpture, 'The Leaning Woman' by Karel Vogel was installed. Another area of public open space to the west of the church was laid out with trees, grass, paths and shrubbery.
No. 7 Hammersmith Terrace was the former home of Sir Emery Walker, an important figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement and friend of William Morris. He lived here from 1903 until his death in 1933, following which his daughter continued to live here. In 1999 the house and its contents was bequeathed to the Emery Walker Trust. The house has a complete Arts and Crafts interior, and the small cottage-style rear garden retains much of the style of Dorothy Walker's planting.
The land was once fields of the Pallingswick Estate, part of the Manor of Fulham; one of the pastures was known as Westcroft. In 1878 land was sold for development and Westcroft Square was built by Thomas Hussey of Kensington, a small square of terraced houses around a rectangular central garden. To preserve the garden as open space, owners of property in the square acquired the freehold and offered it as a gift to Hammersmith Borough Council on condition that it was laid out as public open space. It was conveyed to the Council in 1929 and opened in 1929/30.
