Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

London’s Pocket Parks - Archive Articles

A long-running series of articles about the many small parks that can be found all over London.

London’s Pocket Parks: Mulberry Square, SW1
London’s Pocket Parks: Mulberry Square, SW1

London’s Pocket Parks: Mulberry Square, SW1

This is a brand new linear park in raised beds that sits in the Chelsea Barracks development near Sloane Square.

Jul
25
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Pegler Square, SE3
London’s Pocket Parks: Pegler Square, SE3

London’s Pocket Parks: Pegler Square, SE3

This is a smart new pocket park that sits in front of Kidbrooke station's new ticket hall and was created as part of a large housing development going up at the moment.

Jul
05
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Pedlar’s Park, SE11
London’s Pocket Parks: Pedlar’s Park, SE11

London’s Pocket Parks: Pedlar’s Park, SE11

This is a park in two halves that sits next to the railway in Vauxhall, and is the result of a school closing in 1960.

Jun
15
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: St Olave Silver Street, EC2
London’s Pocket Parks: St Olave Silver Street, EC2

London’s Pocket Parks: St Olave Silver Street, EC2

This is a pocket park that sits next to the busy London Wall road, but still manages to look rather pleasant to sit in despite its location.

Jun
08
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: McDermott Gardens, SE15
London’s Pocket Parks: McDermott Gardens, SE15

London’s Pocket Parks: McDermott Gardens, SE15

This is a lovely local nature reserve just to the south of Peckham Rye town centre that owes its origins to the devastation of WWII, and a TV show.

May
30
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Starcross Yard, NW1
London’s Pocket Parks: Starcross Yard, NW1

London’s Pocket Parks: Starcross Yard, NW1

A new pocket park has opened close to Euston station, as a temporary space while the HS2 station next door is being built, although, with the state of things, it might end up being as temporary as the unlamented green shed in front of King's Cross station.

May
23
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Kirkwood Nature Reserve, SE15
London’s Pocket Parks: Kirkwood Nature Reserve, SE15

London’s Pocket Parks: Kirkwood Nature Reserve, SE15

This is a newish nature reserve in south London, that opened in 2000 on land that was cleared in the 1970s clearance of the old housing in the area.

May
10
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: The White House Garden, SE1
London’s Pocket Parks: The White House Garden, SE1

London’s Pocket Parks: The White House Garden, SE1

Just behind the Southbank centre is a large public garden in full view of the crowds, that hardly anyone knows is actually open to the public.

May
03
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Princes Circus, WC1
London’s Pocket Parks: Princes Circus, WC1

London’s Pocket Parks: Princes Circus, WC1

A rather shabby pavement space in central London has been turned into a pocket park, with loads more planting and softer wooden seating replacing an ugly brick slab that used to dominate the area.

Apr
26
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Smithfield Rotunda Garden, EC1
London’s Pocket Parks: Smithfield Rotunda Garden, EC1

London’s Pocket Parks: Smithfield Rotunda Garden, EC1

Sitting next to Smithfield meat market is a circular pocket park that was created to provide rest for the market workers.

Apr
18
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: St John’s Churchyard, SE1
London’s Pocket Parks: St John’s Churchyard, SE1

London’s Pocket Parks: St John’s Churchyard, SE1

This is a large public park close to Tower Bridge that is unsurprisingly, the former graveyard for a church, but also a much more important space than that.

Apr
13
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Radnor Street Gardens, EC1
London’s Pocket Parks: Radnor Street Gardens, EC1

London’s Pocket Parks: Radnor Street Gardens, EC1

This is a pocket park near Old Street that started off as gardens, became a car park, and is once again gardens.

Apr
06
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Festival Garden, EC4
London’s Pocket Parks: Festival Garden, EC4

London’s Pocket Parks: Festival Garden, EC4

A large swathe of lawn and seating next to St Paul's Cathedral looks like it's part of the Cathedral grounds, but is actually owned by the City of London.

Mar
29
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Minchenden Oak Garden, N14
London’s Pocket Parks: Minchenden Oak Garden, N14

London’s Pocket Parks: Minchenden Oak Garden, N14

This is a very well hidden walled garden that's very easy to walk past without noticing it's there, and is home to one of London's oldest trees.

Mar
22
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Gibson Square Gardens, N1
London’s Pocket Parks: Gibson Square Gardens, N1

London’s Pocket Parks: Gibson Square Gardens, N1

This is an Islington public garden that's famous(ish) for the classical building in the centre, which is actually a ventilation shaft for the London Underground.

Mar
15
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Harrington Square Gardens, NW1
London’s Pocket Parks: Harrington Square Gardens, NW1

London’s Pocket Parks: Harrington Square Gardens, NW1

This is a pocket park that sits close to Mornington Cresent tube station and despite its name is actually a triangle, not a square.

Mar
09
2023
London’s Public Parks: Albion Square Gardens, E8
London’s Public Parks: Albion Square Gardens, E8

London’s Public Parks: Albion Square Gardens, E8

This is a formal garden in Haggerston surrounded by Victorian houses, with a drinking fountain in the middle, and seemingly created out of an undeveloped plot of land.

Mar
01
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: St Pancras Church Garden, EC4
London’s Pocket Parks: St Pancras Church Garden, EC4

London’s Pocket Parks: St Pancras Church Garden, EC4

This is a very well hidden garden that's not in St Pancras but close to Bank in the City of London, and has some remarkable carved wooden benches. But not for much longer.

Feb
08
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Thornhill Gardens, N1
London’s Pocket Parks: Thornhill Gardens, N1

London’s Pocket Parks: Thornhill Gardens, N1

This is a nice pocket park in Islington cared for by an active local community group, but also a link to a grisly unsolved murder.

Feb
01
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Asteys Row Rock Garden, N1
London’s Pocket Parks: Asteys Row Rock Garden, N1

London’s Pocket Parks: Asteys Row Rock Garden, N1

Just off Islington's busy Essex Road is a long linear rock garden that's the legacy of a company that brought fresh water to the City.

Jan
26
2023
Plans to open a disused railway as the “Camden Highline” are approved
Plans to open a disused railway as the “Camden Highline” are approved

Plans to open a disused railway as the “Camden Highline” are approved

Plans to convert a disused railway in North London into an elevated walkway for pedestrians have been given the go-ahead after Camden Council granted planning permission for the first section of the highline walkway.

Jan
20
2023
London’s Pocket Parks: Embassy Gardens, SW11
London’s Pocket Parks: Embassy Gardens, SW11

London’s Pocket Parks: Embassy Gardens, SW11

This is a cluster of new pocket parks that were created as part of the Nine Elms property developments and are fortunately much more appealing than the ghastly marketing language that's been used by Ballymore to describe them.

Dec
08
2022
London’s Pocket Parks: Nelson Square Garden, SE1
London’s Pocket Parks: Nelson Square Garden, SE1

London’s Pocket Parks: Nelson Square Garden, SE1

This is a large municipal square in Southwark surrounded on most sides by post-war housing blocks but was built as a square surrounded by Georgian housing.

Dec
01
2022
London’s Pocket Parks: Compton Terrace Gardens, N1
London’s Pocket Parks: Compton Terrace Gardens, N1

London’s Pocket Parks: Compton Terrace Gardens, N1

This is a pair of gardens that run in front of a row of houses and were originally private spaces for the houses, but are now open to the public to enjoy.

Nov
24
2022