Inventory Site Record

The Salters' Garden lies between the old Roman City Wall and the new Salters' Hall built here in 1972-76. The Company, founded in 1394, had its first hall in Bread Street, then moved to Oxford House on St Swithin's Lane. It re-located here after the hall was bombed in WWII. The garden was originally laid out and opened in June 1981, but was re-designed in 1995 to commemorate the Company's 600th anniversary. Sunk below road level, the old City Wall forms its southern boundary. It is formally laid out as a knot garden and has three fountains, that to the west end set within a circular pond, and a central decorative urn near the Roman Wall.

Site location:

Salters' Hall, Fore Street

Postcode:

EC2Y 5DE

What 3 Words:

atoms.rivers.among

Type of site:

Private Garden

Borough:

City of London

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

Private but open to the public Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm/5.30pm.
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 13 times, most recently in 2018.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Has opened for OGSW

Public transport:

Tube: Moorgate (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Northern, Metropolitan), St Paul's (Central). Rail: Moorgate. Bus: 100, 76, 133, 141

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/04/2010

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.salters.co.uk

The Salters' Garden lies between the old Roman City Wall and the new Salters' Hall, designed in 1968 by Sir Basil Spence and built in 1972-76. The first Salters' Garden was opened on 2 June 1981 by the Lord Mayor of London, but was later redesigned in 1995 by David Hicks with funding from City Changes Partnership Scheme. It was opened on 19 June 1995 to commemorate the Company's 600th anniversary. The Worshipful Company of Salters was founded in 1394, its first hall was in Bread Street by c.1497 and in 1641 it moved to Oxford House on St Swithin's Lane, the site of the house of the first Lord Mayor of the City of London. This Hall was damaged by bombing in the Blitz and later demolished, and the site is now that of St Swithin's House (q.v.); the Company then moved to the present site, although the wrought-iron gates with birds at the Fore Street entrance were originally in St Swithin's Lane, dating from 1887.

The new garden, which is sunk below road level and has the old City Wall as its southern boundary, is formally laid out with areas of lawn, hedging, pergolas and gravel paths and paving. There are three fountains, one adjacent to the building and one at each end of the garden, that to the west set within a circular pond, and a central decorative urn near the Roman Wall.

Sources consulted:

B Plummer and D Shewan, 'City Gardens', London, 1992; Simon Bradley & Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 1: The City of London', 1997 (1999 ed.)

Grid ref:

TQ324816 (532440,181630)

Size in hectares:

0.0796

Site ownership:

Salters' Company

Site management:

Salters' Company

Date(s):

1981; 1995

Designer(s):

David Hicks (1995)

Listed structures:

SAM: section of Roman Wall

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:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

City Walkway Network

Salters' Garden with remnant of Roman City Wall, October 2002. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.

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