Inventory Site Record

King's College London was founded in 1829, becoming one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. It now occupies 5 campuses, the original one being its Strand Campus. The Maughan Library & Information Services Centre opened here in 2001 on the site of the former Rolls Chapel founded in 1232, associated with the Master of the Rolls from 1377 and the location of the Public Record Office from the C19th until 1997. In 1912 the PRO acquired part of the garden of Clifford's Inn. After King's College moved here the PRO garden was re-landscaped as a Contemplative Garden of 'green rooms' designed by George Carter and includes a sculpture and water feature.

Previous / Other name:

Clifford's Inn/Public Record Office Garden

Site location:

Fetter Lane/Chancery Lane

Postcode:

WC2A 1LR

What 3 Words:

weep.square.visits

Type of site:

Institutional Grounds

Borough:

City of London

Open to public?

By appointment only

Opening times:

Private. Has opened for OGSW
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 7 times, most recently in 2012.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Chancery Lane (Central), Temple (District, Circle). Bus: 4, 11, 15, 23, 26, 76, 172, 341

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/06/2010

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.kcl.ac.uk

King's College London was founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829. Along with University College London (q.v.), it became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. King's College London now occupies five campuses across London, that at The Strand being the original one, with others at Guy's Hospital, Waterloo, St Thomas's and Denmark Hill. Other college property includes the Hampstead Residence (q.v.). The Maughan Library is on the site of the former Rolls Chapel, which was founded in 1232 by Henry III for converted Jews, and became associated with the Master of the Rolls from 1377. The Rolls Estate was responsible for holding the government records and Rolls House, built in 1717-24, was replaced by the Public Record Office, built gradually from 1851-96 largely to the 1850 design of Sir James Pennethorne. In 1912 the PRO acquired land owned by Clifford's Inn, which abuts the site to the south. Clifford's Inn, the last Inn of Chancery, was dissolved in 1902 although the gatehouse remains on Clifford's Inn Passage off Fleet Street. After the PRO relocated to Kew in 1997, the former PRO garden re-opened in 2001 as part of King's College London Strand Campus, providing the Maughan Library & Information Services Centre.

New landscaping of the garden was undertaken in agreement with residents of Clifford's Inn, which is now private housing, to create a Contemplative Garden of 'green rooms' designed by George Carter. The design was designed to complement the main features of the adjacent building, and the planting of hornbeam, lime and yew provide historic continuity. The garden includes a sculpture by Dorothy Brook and a water feature. It was opened by HRH the Queen in 2002 and in 2003 won the London Spade awarded by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. A series of relief plaques by Walter Crane are installed on a small brick building showing the Continents of Canada, Australia etc. These were formerly on St Dunstan's House of 1886/7 in Fetter Lane, which was demolished in 1976.

Sources consulted:

Simon Bradley & Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 1: The City of London', 1997 (1999 ed.); London Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches data

Grid ref:

TQ311812 (531210,181240)

Size in hectares:

0.2923

Site ownership:

King's College London

Site management:

King's College London. Garden contractor: All Seasons Landscape Specialists

Date(s):

1851-96; 1912; 2001/2

Designer(s):

2001: George Carter

Listed structures:

LBII*: Public Record Office. LBII: Walls, railings and lamps fronting PRO; Gatehouse, gateway and screen wall in Clifford's Inn Passage

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:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Chancery Lane

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

Yes

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Strategic Viewing Corridor

King's College London Strand Campus, June 2010. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.