Inventory Site Record

Thornhill Road Gardens is a site acquired by Islington Vestry in 1889, later maintained by Islington Borough Council. The neighbouring Malvern Terrace had been built as part of the Thornhill Estate. Before housing encroached, much of the area was nursery grounds. Initially called Thornhill Gardens, it contains some fine mature plane trees and has perimeter shrub planting, rose beds and asphalt paths, and a war memorial in the form of an austere cross.

Previous / Other name:

Thornhill Gardens

Site location:

Thornhill Road/Malvern Terrace

Postcode:

N1

What 3 Words:

beams.epic.royal

Type of site:

Public Gardens

Borough:

Islington

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - dusk

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Angel (Northern). London Overground: Caledonian Road and Barnsbury. Bus: 4, 19, 30, 43, 153

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/04/2012

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.islington.gov.uk/services/parks-environment/parks/your_parks/greenspace_az

Malvern Terrace had been built in 1836 as part of the Thornhill Estate, laid out by Joseph Kay, the estate surveyor. The Terrace and Malvern Cottages were built alongside the former north boundary of extensive nursery grounds belonging to Jacob Harvey, JP (d.1770). This survived in small pockets of land in different ownership, including an area owned by George and John Smith. Although much of the nursery grounds were built over by Richmond Crescent in 1852, part remained and in 1889 was taken over by the Vestry for a small public garden, named Thornhill Gardens and protected from building by the London Squares and Enclosures Act of 1906.The central space is crossed by a path and has low stone wall and seating; various rose beds are set within the lawns and a perimeter path runs around the garden.

Sources consulted:

Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 4: North (Penguin, 1998); Mary Cosh, The Squares of Islington Part II: Islington Parish, (London, 1993); Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares, 1928

Grid ref:

TQ311839 (531134,183920)

Size in hectares:

0.28

Site ownership:

LB Islington

Site management:

Greenspace

Date(s):

1889

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

LBII: 1 - 11 Malvern Terrace

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:

Yes

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:

Barnsbury Square

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Local/strategic view corridor. Shopping Policy Area.