St Johns Wood Church Grounds
Welcome to St. Johns Wood Church Grounds
The grounds is one of the first Westminster City Council gardens to be awarded a Green Flag. It has subsequently won an award every year since 2004. It also reqularly wins the London Squares and Gardens Competition 'Large Square Category Award". You can click on this link to view the 5 year Management Plan.
You can also take a 360 degree tour of the grounds by clicking on the link.
To contact the Parks Service please click on this link Parks Manager
Location
St Wood Church Ground Wellington Place, St. Johns Wood, NW8 7PF
Tube
Nearest tube station is St. Johns Wood on the Jubilee line which is five minutes walk from the grounds.
Buses
Routes 13, 82 and 113 all stop on Wellington Road which forms the western boundary of the site.
Facilities and features in the grounds include
- Equipment age range - 3 to 11 years
- Playground - Yes
- Seating - Yes
- Manned site - Yes
- Drinking Fountain - Yes
- Sand pit - No
- Paddling pool - No
- Children's toilet - No
- Dogs admitted - No
- Adults admitted to playground - Only if accompanying children
- Formal bedding area and herbaceous border
- Local Nature Reserve / Glade
- Public Convenience (including Disabled).
- Donated benches and deckchairs
Playground Equipment - Inspection and Maintenance
Westminster has a very thorough inspection and maintenance policy for its playgrounds. We believe that the safety of the users is paramount. To view the Inspection and Maintenance regime please click on the link.
History of the Church Grounds
The current grounds as seen today date from the early 1950's when the gravestones were removed from the three main lawn areas. The St. Johns Wood burial ground dates from 1807, it was originally two fields known as Great Garden Field and Willow Tree Field and covered an area of six acres, by 1814 both the burial ground and the church were completed.
The Bishop of London consecrated the Church and burial ground on the 24 May 1814. The burial ground was used from 1814 to 1855 when the St. Marylebone Cemetery at East Finchley was opened. There are thought to be 50,000 graves here. A transcription of the still legible tombstones was made in 1962 and may be consulted in the Westminster City Archives.
Three of the graves are well known:
- John Sell Cotman, water-colour painter, (1782-1842) This stone is on the west side of the grounds in the Glade.
- Private Samuel Godley, (1781-1832), who fought at the battle of Waterloo This stone is close to the Cotman grave.
- Joanna Southcott, religious fanatic, (1750-1814) There is a large marker stone against the west boundary wall which was erected in 1965. The grave itself is approximately twenty five feet due east of the marker stone.
There are donated benches to the memories of Barry Took (Writer and Broadcaster) and Edward 'Ted' Cast (Actor). A Tulip tree was planted in memory of Brian Johnston (Cricket Broadcaster).
Location map of garden
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