Description
This small triangular garden opposite the V&A Museum is on land previously owned by The Crown and in the C19th was laid out with a few trees. Now known as the Yalta Memorial Garden, the current layout dates from the C20th and consists of grass with a central path to the apex of the triangle, hedging to the road and a number of ornamental trees. The main feature in the garden is the Yalta Memorial dedicated to those people forcibly repatriated to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union after WWII. The current memorial by Angela Conner, entitled 'The 12 Responses to Tragedy', was unveiled in October 1986 and replaced an earlier piece that was destroyed by vandalism.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Cromwell Gardens Triangle; Thurloe Place Gardens |
|---|---|
| Site location | Junction of Cromwell Gardens/Thurloe Place/Thurloe Square |
| Postcode | SW7 2SL |
| What3Words | ///cooks.feared.kinds |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly). Bus: C1, 14, 74, 414, 49, 70, 345, 360 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
This small triangle of land opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum is listed in the Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares, 1928, as a 'grass plot with a few trees', owned by The Crown and managed by the Commissioners of His Majesty's Works, and maintained by HM Office of Works. On the OS map of 1879 the area is shown with trees but the current layout dates from the C20th. It is now known as the Yalta Memorial Garden and is maintained by the Victoria and Albert Museum. It has grass with a central path to the apex of the triangle with hedging to the road and a row of small ornamental trees. At the west end is a bed with shrubs and trees including a eucalyptus, with seating facing the main feature in the garden, a sculpture by Angela Conner, which replaced an earlier piece that was destroyed by vandalism. Entitled 'The 12 Responses to Tragedy' Conner's work was unveiled in October 1986 by the Bishop of Fulham dedicated to those who died under Communism. The garden is a welcome area of publicly accessible green space in this area, despite its proximity to the busy main road.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ268789 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0417 |
| Site Ownership | Victoria and Albert Museum, formerly The Crown |
| Site Management | RB Kensington & Chelsea, Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | late C19th; 1986 |
| 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 | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Thurloe Estate and Smith's Charity |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
This private communal garden was provided for residents of Thurloe Square, which was built on the Thurloe Estate. The Estate had passed to John Alexander in 1799, who began house development on the land from 1826. His son Henry Browne Alexander undertook the second phase of building from 1840, which included Thurloe Square. The south-west corner was demolished to make way for the underground railway in 1867. The garden has lawn, shrubberies, borders and flower beds, numerous mature trees and original railings.
The Victoria & Albert Museum, now the largest museum of decorative arts and design, has its origins in 1836 and was established here as the South Kensington Museum in 1857, on part of the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851. As its collections grew, museum buildings were added and by 1883 formed a quadrangle surrounding a central courtyard garden. In 1890 a competition for new museum buildings was launched, which created the new main façade on Cromwell Road. The foundation stone was laid in 1899, and it was on this occasion that the museum's name changed to the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 2001 a major renovation programme was launched, which has included re-landscaping of the central court garden, named the John Madejski Garden after its benefactor. Opened in 2005, it has a formal layout, with an elliptical water feature that can be drained so the area can be used for events.
Alexander Square was developed in 1827-30 for the Thurloe Estate, a wedge of land within the larger Henry Smith's Charity Estate that was owned by descendents of Sir William Blake (d.1630). The Estate had passed to John Alexander in 1799, who began housing development on the land from 1826, when he drew up an agreement with builder James Bonnin. George Basevi was appointed architect in 1829 and designed the north terrace. The two terraces are bisected by Alexander Place and are fronted by private roadway; between this and the main road are narrow garden enclosures with railings to the front, well planted with trees.