Description
St Thomas's Burial Ground was the former cemetery to a chapel-of-ease of St John-at-Hackney Church that was established here in 1810 to serve the southern part of the parish. Although the chapel was demolished after it ceased to be used in 1848, burials continued until 1876. It was converted into a public garden following agreement of the Bishop of London in 1884, with some chest tombs left in position but the remainder moved to the north and east perimeter. The garden has a number of fine plane trees along either side with a central path flanked at intervals by shrubs.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Well Street Burial Ground; St Thomas Long Burial Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Thomas's Place/Well Street |
| Postcode | E9 |
| What3Words | ///cheek.rounds.scales |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk (summer 9.30pm, winter 4pm). |
| Public Transport | Rail: London Fields. Bus 26, 48, 55, 106, 236, 253, 277, D6 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
This garden was the site of the burial ground to a Chapel-of-Ease of the parish church of St John-at-Hackney (q.v.) set up to serve South Hackney in 1810 by the Hackney Phalanx, a group of Anglicans consisting of James Watson, vicar of St John's from 1799, his brother Joshua, and South Hackney squire and parson Henry Handley Norris who founded the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The Phalanx had national influence in Anglican affairs and was involved in church and school building in the area. The chapel was in use until St John of Jerusalem (q.v.) was built in 1848, after which the building was demolished, only the burial ground remaining. Among the local people buried here were members of the Frampton family after whom the nearby 1960s Frampton Park Estate is named. The last burial here took place in 1876. In 1884 the Bishop of London approved Hackney Board of Works' proposal to turn the site into a garden. It was agreed 'to leave the principal tablestones in their present position, to plant evergreens round the site and to lower graves where necessary to remove all headstones and place same against north and east walls', these works costing some £180.
The garden was laid out in 1885 and writing in 1896 Mrs Basil Holmes remarked that is was 'very neatly kept by the Hackney District Board of Works'. In 1888 the Board paid £100 for a passage to join the garden with the Independent Chapel-ground, now known as St Thomas's Recreation Ground (q.v.), which it also maintained, the two sharing a single caretaker. The oblong site is enclosed by early C20th railings and it is overlooked to the west by St Thomas's Place built by Thomas Pearson between 1805 and 1807, and to the east by a 1930s council estate. The grassed area has a number of fine plane trees along either side with a central path flanked at intervals by shrubs, and containing a few chest tombs.
The garden was laid out in 1885 and writing in 1896 Mrs Basil Holmes remarked that is was 'very neatly kept by the Hackney District Board of Works'. In 1888 the Board paid £100 for a passage to join the garden with the Independent Chapel-ground, now known as St Thomas's Recreation Ground (q.v.), which it also maintained, the two sharing a single caretaker. The oblong site is enclosed by early C20th railings and it is overlooked to the west by St Thomas's Place built by Thomas Pearson between 1805 and 1807, and to the east by a 1930s council estate. The grassed area has a number of fine plane trees along either side with a central path flanked at intervals by shrubs, and containing a few chest tombs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ350842 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.3 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Hackney Parks Service |
| Dates | 1837; 1884 |
| 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 | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Mare Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Priority |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
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 Thomas's Recreation Ground is on the site of the former burial ground of a Nonconformist Chapel at St Thomas's Square. The burial ground was on land leased by St Thomas's Hospital and was used from at least the late C18th. Following closure for burial, it was eventually laid out as a public garden in 1888 and was maintained by Hackney District Board of Works. The grave markers were cleared, many now fixed or against the walls, and some chest tombs remain. Entry from Mare Street is via an early C19th archway, and a pavilion in the centre dates from the late C19th or early C20th.
St Thomas's Square was a development built by Robert Collins in 1771/2 on land leased from St Thomas's Hospital. The central area was essentially open space until 1892 when it was laid out as a public garden by Hackney District Board with grants form the MBW, MPGA and the LCC. Just outside the railings at the west end is a granite drinking fountain in memory of Esther Nelson, which was unveiled by the Mayor of Hackney in 1912. Hackney Borough Council purchased the garden in 1915.
By the 1720s Mare Street was a well populated district of the parish, with buildings on both sides of the road between Mutton Lane and London Lane in 1745. In 1827 it was so busy that the Mutton Lane verges were cut back to create a wider roadway and the central plot, later known as The Triangle, was fenced as an ornamental space. In 1883 this small area of land was given to Hackney Board of Works by the Lord of the Manor of Hackney. It was here that Evangeline, daughter of William Booth, began preaching from a soapbox at the age of 15. Described in 1928 as 'a small triangle of land at the junction of roads containing a few trees', there is now one mature plane tree, and a late C19th double length trough of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, which was originally to the east of its current site.