Description
This small public garden was once the site of a large pond called The Little Sea. In 1756-58 it became the site for Whitfield's Tabernacle and Almshouses, and Whitfield's half-acre Burial Ground, which was in two parts, one each side of the Tabernacle. In 1853 it was closed to burials and cleared in 1856. The LCC acquired the site in 1894 and in 1895 opened it as a public garden, laid out as a smaller area with a central path and a larger tar-paved area surrounded by planted borders. In the early C21st it was substantially re-landscaped by Camden Council.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Whitfield's Burial Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Whitfield Street/Tottenham Court Road |
| Postcode | W1 |
| What3Words | ///pounds.active.simple |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Goodge Street (Northern). Bus: 10, 24, 29, 73, 134. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
A small paved public garden with seats and some mature London planes close to the junction of Tottenham Street and Tottenham Court Road, next to the American Church. Once the site of a large pond called The Little Sea, in 1756-58 it became the site for Whitfield's Tabernacle and Almshouses, rebuilt twice during the C19th, and Whitfield's half-acre Burial Ground. There were two portions of the burial ground, on each side of Whitefield's Tabernacle. The burial ground was closed in 1853 having proved to be a source of constant local nuisance and the haunt of body-snatchers, and it was cleared in 1856. Among those buried here were John Bacon R.A. sculptor, and Rev. Augustus Montague Toplady, author of the hymn 'Rock of Ages'.
The LCC obtained the power to purchase the site in 1889 but did not acquire it until 1894, half the cost of purchase and layout met by St Pancras Vestry. The smaller garden was a narrow strip with a central path and the larger garden had a tar-paved area surrounded by borders with flowers and ornamental shrubs. In February 1895 it was opened as a public garden. A mural by Stephen Pusey was painted on the adjoining gable wall in early 1980s. In the early C21st the site was modernised in order to make it a focus for the area, the plans for which were made by Camden Council in partnership with local groups and organisations. Illustrated panels depicting the history of the area were installed in the gardens, but have now been removed.
The LCC obtained the power to purchase the site in 1889 but did not acquire it until 1894, half the cost of purchase and layout met by St Pancras Vestry. The smaller garden was a narrow strip with a central path and the larger garden had a tar-paved area surrounded by borders with flowers and ornamental shrubs. In February 1895 it was opened as a public garden. A mural by Stephen Pusey was painted on the adjoining gable wall in early 1980s. In the early C21st the site was modernised in order to make it a focus for the area, the plans for which were made by Camden Council in partnership with local groups and organisations. Illustrated panels depicting the history of the area were installed in the gardens, but have now been removed.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ294818 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1034 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Parks & Open Spaces. Friends of the Parks of Fitzrovia |
| Dates | Churchyard: C18th. Garden: 1894/5; C20th |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Charlotte Street |
| 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). Strategic View Corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
This area suffered bomb damage during WWII and as a result the former townscape of Fitzrovia changed in post-war rebuilding. Crabtree Fields was laid out in 1985 by the GLC replacing a former car park on an empty bomb-site. The public gardens recall the old name of the area in the early C18th when it was a meadow known as Crab Tree Field. It was owned by the wife of carpenter John Goodge after whom Goodge Street is named.
Ridgmount Gardens is an elongated private garden for the use of residents of the imposing Ridgmount Mansions apartment building that overlooks it, built in the 1890s. Stretching from Chenies Street to Tavistock Place, the garden has a path that leads alongside a series of miniature lawns interspersed by shrubbery borders. At either end of the garden are ornamental bird baths set off by lavender and wisteria.
Torrington Square was originally laid out as part of the Bedford Estate development in 1821-25, named after the father-in-law of the 6th Duke of Bedford. On the east side a terrace of 6 original houses remains, Nos. 27-32; No.30 was once the home of Christina Georgina Rossetti. The terraces overlooked a long narrow garden enclosure for the private use of residents and had lawns, a shrubbery border and fine trees. The square was purchased in the early C20th for the new University of London and was largely built over in the 1930s. It is now publicly accessible and partly hard landscaped, although some mature trees remain.
