Description
Hackney Town Hall was built in 1934-37 when a larger building was needed to accommodate the offices of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney. It is set back from the main road behind a landscaped square that was laid out on the site of the old Town Hall, itself the site of the C16th Church House long used for church, parochial and educational purposes. Now called Town Hall Square, it remains a formal, symmetrical composition with island beds, enclosed by stone parapet walls with four piers surmounted by bronze Art Deco lanterns at the front.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Hackney Town Hall Gardens |
|---|---|
| Site location | Mare Street |
| Postcode | E8 |
| What3Words | ///down.hogs.extra |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Hackney Central. Tube: Bethnal Green (Central) then bus. Bus: 30, 38, 48, 55, 106, 236, 242, 254, 277, 276, D6, W15. |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hackney Town Hall was designed in 1934-37 by architects Lanchester and Lodge when a larger building was needed to accommodate the local council of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney. The Metropolitan Borough had taken over from the Hackney Vestry, which had assumed the powers of Hackney District Board of Works in 1894. The gardens in front of the new building were laid out on the site of the old Town Hall, with the new building erected behind this on the site of houses in the former Hackney Grove, land that had once been a paddock. The Old Town Hall had been the old vestry hall and was itself on the site of the Church House dating from 1520, which had been the vicarage and used for church, parochial and educational purposes over the years. There is a record of Hackney Town Hall Garden in the late C19th as a half-acre site owned by Hackney District Board. In 1937 the area in front of the new Town Hall was laid out in a formal, symmetrical composition centred on the Town Hall in the form of two raised planted areas with island beds containing seasonal flower displays, with recesses for seats. The area was enclosed by low Portland stone parapet walls with four massive piers surmounted by bronze Art Deco lanterns at the front. As part of refurbishment works of the adjacent Hackney Empire in 2000/2001, Hackney Town Hall Gardens were renamed Town Hall Square.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ348847 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.2 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hackney |
| Site Management | Streetscene |
| Dates | 1937 |
| Designers | Lanchester and Lodge (architects of Town Hall) |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Hackney Town Hall; Civic Garden Walls and Lamp Piers |
| 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 | Town Hall Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| 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 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.
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 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.