Description
Sussex Gardens is a private tree-lined avenue, most of which was known as Grand Junction Road until post-1914 (Sussex Gardens only west of London Street). With Westbourne Terrace it is one of two main axes in the planned development of Tyburnia, as laid out for the Bishop of London by his surveyors S P Cockerell (d.1827) and his successor George Gutch. It is aligned at the west end on the spire of St James's Church. Although the individual gardens are extremely narrow and restricted to patchy grass, privet and shrubs, bordered by a mixture of railings and wire mesh, the longitudinal effect of the infrequent mature London plane and hawthorn is magnificent. At the western end is Sussex Gardens Open Space, a triangular garden in front of the church.
Practical Information
| Site location | Sussex Gardens, Paddington |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 |
| What3Words | ///became.slave.zips |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Paddington (Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Bakerloo), Lancaster Gate (Central) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Land to the north of Hyde Park was for centuries farmland owned by the Church of England, the area known as Tyburnia after the river Tyburn that flows underground. It was at Tyburn Gallows at Marble Arch that public executions were held until 1783. The development of the Bishop of London's large Paddington Estate began after that, with an early masterplan drawn up by Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1754-1827), the estate surveyor, possibly begun in 1805 although little was built until the 1820s. Cockerell was succeeded as estate surveyor by George Gutch (c.1790-1874), who modified and intensified the layout, and drew up his 'Final Plan of Tyburnia' in 1838. In 1928, the Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares described the strips that formed a common frontage to the houses on Sussex Gardens as 'laid out as shrubberies'; they were owned by the Paddington Estate Trustees and maintained out of proportionate contributions from the leaseholders.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ268811 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Private |
| Dates | 1830 |
| Designers | S P Cockerell; George Gutch |
| Listed Structures | LBII: All the buildings on both sides of Sussex Gardens |
| 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 | Bayswater |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
Norfolk Square was laid out after 1842 on the site of the former Upper South Reservoir of the Grand Junction Canal Company, possibly to the design of George Gutch. The garden was originally provided for the private use of inhabitants of the Square. The area later became invaded by minor hotels, and a block of flats replaced a church at the north end of the square. The garden became dilapidated and in 1989 was acquired by Westminster City Council through compulsory purchase. It was completely re-landscaped with new paths, shrub planting and railings, and opened to the public in autumn 1990.
Talbot Square was laid out after 1842 on the site of the former Lower Reservoir of the Grand Junction Canal Company, probably to the design of George Gutch. It was reserved for the use of occupants of the surrounding houses, who were responsible for its maintenance. The railings were removed for the war effort and replaced by chain link fencing. The northern terrace was replaced with a C20th block. In 1996 the garden was acquired by WCC and opened to the public, at which time some restoration was carried out although it was not until 2008/09 that the garden had extensive improvements, re-opening in Spring 2009 with new planting, entrances and traditional railings.
Gloucester Square was laid out as part of George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tyburnia' of 1838 on the estate lands of the Church Commissioners, in an axis containing Sussex Square, Cambridge and Oxford Squares and Norfolk Crescent. Its name derives from William, Duke of Gloucester, who had a townhouse nearby. The south side was designed in 1844 by George Ledwell Taylor; the other three sides are now redevelopments of the C20th. The garden enclosure was provided as a private garden for occupiers of the square. Nowadays there are roses and flowerbeds, and substantial mature London plane trees.
