Description
Part of the Bedford Estate development, Tavistock Square was formed in 1800 but the garden not laid out until 1825. The railed enclosure was for the private use of residents and the late C19th layout shows a perimeter path and axial walks radiating from a central circular feature. Now open to the public, it retains much of this layout today with mature London planes, flower beds and lawns. It contains a number of memorials: in the centre is a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi; in the south-east corner a memorial to Dame Louisa Aldrich-Blake, one of the first women surgeons; a tree was planted in 1967 for the victims of Hiroshima and a large stone with plaque commemorates Conscientious Objectors.
Practical Information
| Site location | Woburn Place |
|---|---|
| Postcode | WC1H 9LD |
| What3Words | ///vibe.switch.fear |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7am - dusk |
| Events | Has participated in OGSW. For news and events see Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens website: www.bloomsburysquares.org.uk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Euston Square (Circle); Russell Square (Piccadilly). Bus: 59, 68, 91, 168. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2014 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Part of the Bedford Estate development, Tavistock Square was formed in 1800 but the garden was not laid out until 1825. Nos. 29-45 Tavistock Square, a terrace of 17 houses, were built c1825-6 designed by Lewis Vulliamy, part of which is now Connaught Hall, University of London. Surviving C19th terraces by Burton and Cubitt overlook the square. The garden appears on the OS map of 1894 as an enclosed rectangle with a perimeter path and three axial walks radiating from a central circular feature, and trees lining the paths and the square, enclosed by railings, preserves this layout, with mature London planes, flower beds and grass lawns. In 1928 it was maintained by a Committee of inhabitants of the square out of rates levied by St Pancras Borough Council.
Tavistock Square Gardens now contain a number of memorials - in the centre is a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi of c.1968 by sculptor Fredda Brilliant, with Gandhi in the lotus position on Portland stone base, inscribed with his dates, 1869-1948. The memorial to Dame Louisa Aldrich-Blake, one of the first women surgeons, dates from 1926 and consists of a stone semi-circular seat designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the British Medical Association House (q.v.) on Tavistock Square. Rising from the centre of the seat back is a stone column with identical bronze busts of Dame Louisa holding a book on the back and front, designed by A G Walker, and inscribed with details of her career. Other memorials include a tree planted in 1967 commemorating the victims of Hiroshima; and a large stone with a plaque inscribed as memorial to conscientious objectors, placed here 15 May 1994 for International Conscientious Objectors Day.
The Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens was set up in 2012 as a forum for the local gardens, with a website www.bloomsburysquares.org.uk, which acts as a point of access for sharing activities, events and concerns. The gardens within the Association are: Argyle, Bedford, Bloomsbury, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Gordon, Mecklenburgh, Regent, Russell, Tavistock, Torrington and Woburn Squares (q.q.v.), and Marchmont Community Garden.
Tavistock Square Gardens now contain a number of memorials - in the centre is a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi of c.1968 by sculptor Fredda Brilliant, with Gandhi in the lotus position on Portland stone base, inscribed with his dates, 1869-1948. The memorial to Dame Louisa Aldrich-Blake, one of the first women surgeons, dates from 1926 and consists of a stone semi-circular seat designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the British Medical Association House (q.v.) on Tavistock Square. Rising from the centre of the seat back is a stone column with identical bronze busts of Dame Louisa holding a book on the back and front, designed by A G Walker, and inscribed with details of her career. Other memorials include a tree planted in 1967 commemorating the victims of Hiroshima; and a large stone with a plaque inscribed as memorial to conscientious objectors, placed here 15 May 1994 for International Conscientious Objectors Day.
The Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens was set up in 2012 as a forum for the local gardens, with a website www.bloomsburysquares.org.uk, which acts as a point of access for sharing activities, events and concerns. The gardens within the Association are: Argyle, Bedford, Bloomsbury, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Gordon, Mecklenburgh, Regent, Russell, Tavistock, Torrington and Woburn Squares (q.q.v.), and Marchmont Community Garden.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ298823 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.9453 |
| Site Ownership | Duke of Bedford, leased to LB Camden |
| Site Management | LB Camden Parks & Open Spaces; Friends of Tavistock Square |
| Dates | 1825 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Nos.29-45 Tavistock Square and attached railings. LBII: BMA House; in the gardens: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, Dame Louisa Aldrich Blake Memorial. |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bloomsbury |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Central London Area |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local). London Squares Preservation Act of 1931 |
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
The site was that of Tavistock House and grounds, built in 1796 and demolished c.1900, once the home of Charles Dickens. The buildings occupied by the British Medical Association were originally designed for the British Theosophical Society by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911-14. The unfinished site was acquired by the BMA in 1923 and Lutyens again worked on the project until 1925, when the new headquarters opened, although later additions were made by others. Lutyens' work included the rear Council Garden, his design comprising a semi-circular terrace and oval pool that echoed the geometry and clarity of his architectural style. He also designed a memorial garden in the Court of Honour but this was re-configured in 1954 with a bronze fountain in a circular pool, flanked by figurative stone sculptures representing Sacrifice, Cure, Prevention and Aspiration. Planting in the Council Garden includes a fine Catalpa and a collection of plants with medicinal properties.
The area remained open land until it was developed as part of the Bedford Estate. Although the square was formed in 1800, the garden and houses were not built until the 1820s. Named after Lady Georgina Gordon, second wife of the 6th Duke of Bedford, the design and supervision of the garden was by the Duke himself; an early plan of c.1830 showed a perimeter path and a circular central path around a shrubbery, linked to the perimeter by six curving paths, with shrubberies around the edge and in groups in the enclosures made by paths. By 1894 the layout had changed and it was simplified in the early C20th. In 1920 the Duke agreed to sell the site to the Government for the building of University of London. The gardens initially remained private for use of residents and keyholders but were later open to the public. In 2007 the gardens were formally re-opened by HRH the Princess Royal following a 7-year restoration project.
Woburn Square is a rectangular enclosure laid out by the Duke of Bedford c.1830, overlooked by C19th terraces of 1829-33. It was for the private use of householders and OS maps of 1881, 1894 and 1913 show the layout of paths and planting changing over the years. By 1928 London University had acquired part of the site, but as late as 1950 it was described as the most perfect of the smaller Bloomsbury squares. Encroachment began in 1958 when the Warburg Institute was built in the north-west corner; in 1972 part of the north and south sides were demolished for the Institute of Education and School of Oriental and African Studies. Today it is an elongated rectangular garden, shaded by mature trees, with perimeter walk, a children's playground in the south, and small shelter to the north. In 2007 the gardens were re-opened following a 7-year restoration project.
