Wilmington Square Gardens

This garden was the focus of one of London's first post-Waterloo developments, Wilmington Square, which was laid out in the 1820s by builder John Wilson. It was created on 16 acres of the Spa Fields Estate, owned by the Spencer Compton family, who were Earls and later Marquesses of Northampton. The family owned Canonbury Manor as well their land in Clerkenwell, and until the late C17th their town house was Northampton Manor House, eventually demolished in 1869, its site near Northampton Square (q.v.). There was a pedestrian walkway on the north side of Wilmington Square as Wilson ran out of money to build a road. In 1886 Lord Compton, who later succeeded as 5th Marquess of Northampton, presented the square's central garden enclosure, as well as that of Northampton Square (q.v.) to the Finsbury Vestry for public use. The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association offered to run both gardens for the benefit of the poor. At Wilmington Square flowers were planted and seating installed, together with the late C19th pavilion or shelter that can still be seen today. In the gardens is a drinking fountain with the remains of a dedication inscription for the public garden. It was erected by Charles Clements Walker JP in memory of his mother Agnes Walker who had long resided in the parish. There are some notable trees including numerous small ornamental trees and conifers. Many of the surrounding houses date from the 1820s, although some were much rebuilt c.1969. The boundary railings to the garden date from 1819-41.