Description
Sussex Square was laid out as a garden square as part of George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tyburnia' (1838) as the south-eastern point of a great axis of gardens, including Gloucester Square, Cambridge and Oxford Squares, and Norfolk Crescent. The garden remained in the ownership of the Paddington Estate Trustees and was provided for the private use of occupiers of the surrounding houses, maintenance out of proportionate expenses levied on the occupants. In 1928 it was described out as a 'circular area surrounded by a thick hedge and shrubbery. Laid out as a lawn and contains some well-grown trees'. The surrounding buildings are now of 1933 or later. The plan of the garden remains circular, the lawn has a circuit walk, and it contains notable London plane trees; the boundary is hedge with wire mesh fencing.
Practical Information
| Site location | Sussex Square/Stanhope Terrace, Paddington |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W2 |
| What3Words | ///snaps.axed.soon |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Lancaster Gate (Central) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2019 |
| 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. Norfolk Crescent, Oxford Square and Cambridge Square (q.q.v.) were created on the site of the much larger Stanhope Square, which was laid out pre-1834.
In 1954 a 90-acre area of land within the Church Commissioners estate containing C19th terraces south of Sussex Gardens was consolidated as the Hyde Park Estate. The cost of maintenance of the gardens is through an annual service charge to lessees who have exclusive rights to use the gardens. Until January 2011 a Gardens Committee managed the gardens, but since then management reverted to the freeholder, the Church Commissioners
In 1954 a 90-acre area of land within the Church Commissioners estate containing C19th terraces south of Sussex Gardens was consolidated as the Hyde Park Estate. The cost of maintenance of the gardens is through an annual service charge to lessees who have exclusive rights to use the gardens. Until January 2011 a Gardens Committee managed the gardens, but since then management reverted to the freeholder, the Church Commissioners
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ268800 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.32 |
| Site Ownership | Church Commissioners |
| Site Management | Estate Management Scheme; landscape contract maintained by Conceptual Gardens |
| Dates | 1840s |
| Designers | George Gutch |
| 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 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | London Square |
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
Sussex Gardens Open Space is a triangular garden at the western end of Sussex Gardens, functioning as a setting to St James's Church, which was built in 1841-43. The land was part of the Ecclesiastical Commissioner's Paddington Estate. The garden was originally private, for the use of occupiers of certain adjoining houses, and managed by a Committee of occupiers. The garden has notable London plane trees; a central bed may coincide with a circular feature shown on the 1872 OS map. New landscaping includes box-edged beds and wooden frames for climbing plants.
Two garden enclosures provide communal gardens to the residents of Hyde Park Gardens, a terrace facing onto Bayswater Road and Kensington Gardens. The houses were designed by John Crake, a pupil of Decimus Burton, whose designs for the terrace were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1836. An engraving of the same year shows the garden railed but open to view.
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.
