Inventory Site Record

Allen Gardens was first laid out by the LCC in 1958 on a plot of land made available when post-war temporary housing was demolished; streets were cleared to make way for the park, including Pedley Street, Weaver Street, Shuttle Street, Eckersley Street, North Place and Fleet Street Hill. The new park was named after philanthropist William Allen. During the 1960s the park was gradually expanded when the derelict All Saints' Church was demolished and some remaining slums at the north end of Mile End New Town cleared. It was suggested that this additional, larger area be called 'Allen Fields' but this name appears not to have caught on and the whole park was soon called Allen Gardens. 

Site location:

Buxton Street

Postcode:

E1 5EH

What 3 Words:

apron.plot.items

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Tower Hamlets

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

London Overground: Shoreditch High Street.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

26/07/2021

Last minor changes:

14/07/2022

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.towerhamlets.gov.uk

In medieval times and up until the C18th this land was part of a larger open area known as Haresmarsh. In Georgian times, the land was built on for Mile End New Town, a new urban development. Apart from numerous small houses, a church and two schools were also built here in the early C19th and some of the buildings of the former St Patrick's School survived the demolition of the adjacent All Saints' Church and are now private residences. A plaque high on the wall facing the park records the small area once occupied by All Saints' Church, still owned by Christ Church Spitalfields. The new park is named after philanthropist William Allen, who in 1811 sponsored the opening of a non-sectarian school on the site for the poor children of the area. Allen had also been a leading member of the 'Spitalfields Soup Society' formed in 1797 in an attempt to provide relief to unemployed weavers. 

Until 2006 Shoreditch station was situated at the north of the park, but closed when the new London Overground was constructed. Allen Gardens is facing issues of crime, anti-social behaviour, littering and fly tipping.  As part of the Council's programme of regeneration, Tower Hamlets parks and high streets and town centres teams are making improvements to Allen Gardens, one of the borough’s most important inner-city open spaces. In 2018 landscape architects Steer Davies Gleave carried out a feasibility study for developing and refurbishing Allen Gardens, which included con­sultation sessions held in the park.

Adjacent to the park is an area of community gardening known as the Nomadic Gardens, established on an area of railway lands. Spitalfields City Farm (q.v.) also abuts the park.

Sources consulted:

'Parks and Gardens in Spitalfields', Spitalfields Forum

Grid ref:

TQ340821 (534067,182148)

Size in hectares:

Site ownership:

LB Tower Hamlets

Site management:

Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces

Date(s):

1958-70

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

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:

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Local Importance

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Other LA designation:

None

Allen Gardens, September 2010. Photograph Sally Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.