It’s not uncommon to want to unwind in nature after spending lots of time in Central London. Your first thought may be to head over to the large and often busy Hyde Park or Regents Park. But if you’re after a spot that’s a little more off the beaten track, one charming chunk of Central London offers a garden so peaceful that you may be the only visitor.
St George’s Garden sits in Bloomsbury, Central London - the city’s intellectual and literary hub, home to Bloomsbury Publishing, the British Museum and a number of top universities. It’s no surprise that the area is often filled with tourists and students scurrying to and from university lectures. But while Bloomsbury is known for its elegant squares and green spaces lined with grand Georgian townhouses, St George’s Gardens is much less explored.
Nestled behind the Foundling Museum on Wakefield Street, the garden, which was once a burial ground now offers a public green oasis that’s steeped in history. The space is filled with ample seating, pathed paths leading to larger pockets of green, colourful plants and some pretty notable graves, all against the backdrop of characterful Georgian mansions.
There's also a wonderful statue depicting Euterpe, one of the nine muses from Classical Greece who specialised in lyric poetry. The statue used to sit on the facade of the Apollo Inn on Tottenham Court Road but when that was demolished in the 60s, it found its new home in Bloomsbury.
While it no longer serves the purpose of a graveyard, St George's square is still home to some notable burials dating back to the 1700s. The first person to be buried there in 1715 was a man called Robert Nelson.
He was a Royal Society fellow, but later became known as a nonjuror – someone who refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the new monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II. As a non-conformist Christian, he specifically decided to be buried in St George's Square because it sat in an unusual location.
Other burials include Anna Gibson, thought to be the favourite daughter of Richard Cromwell and granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell. Eliza Fenning - a cook who was executed for allegedly murdering her employer’s son and daughter-in-law with poisioned dumplings, is buried in the garden. You can also find a memorial plaque to Zachary Macaulay, a staunch anti-slavery activist of the 1970s.
St George's Garden can be accessed through a small gate on Wakefield Street or on the opposite end on Heathcote Street in Bloomsbury. For both entrances, the nearest station is Russell Square, served by the Piccadilly line and the garden is open every day from 8am until 9pm.
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