Inventory Site Record

Laid out as a recreation ground in c.1950s, Bartlett Park is a largely grassed flat site with some trees, planting of shrubs, but mainly in use as playing fields. The park is adjacent to the north of the Lansbury Estate, which was built from the 1950s as part of the reconstruction of Stepney and Poplar, the first phase of which was undertaken as a contribution to the Festival of Britain in 1951. Bartlett Park has utilitarian boundary railings and entrances in Arcadia Place and Northumbria Street where the Celestial Church of Christ is located, built as St Saviour's Church in 1873/4. Canary Wharf dominates the skyline to the south.

Site location:

Upper North Street/Lindfield Street/Arcadia Place

Postcode:

E14

What 3 Words:

jabs.ends.sizes

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Tower Hamlets

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Adventure playground; grass football pitch

Events:

Events include Fireworks Displays

Public transport:

DLR: All Saints. Bus: 309

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/11/2011

Last minor changes:

14/07/2022

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

The park is on the north edge of the Lansbury Estate (q.v.), where there are various green spaces among the housing blocks built from the 1950s as part of the reconstruction of Stepney/Poplar to create a single community of 11 neighbourhood units over a 30 acre site. The first phase was undertaken as a contribution to the Festival of Britain in 1951 and was an instance of neighbourhood planning principles put into practice, and the first part of the Abercrombie County of London Plan to take shape. It was undertaken by LCC's Town Planning Department in collaboration with Festival authorities and different architects. The Celestial Church of Christ started life as St Saviour, an Anglican church built in 1873/4 to designs of F J and H Francis, which originally had a clergy house and school. The church became redundant in 1976 and in 1983 was taken over by the West African Celestial Church of Christ.

In 2010 Bartlett Park Steering Group appointed Adams & Sutherland architects to develop a masterplan for the park, which is regarded as lacking definition. The proposed masterplan takes into account adjacent housing redevelopment to give the park a new identity and character and to make it safer and more secure. Proposals include an ‘arc of activities’ along the north and east sides that 'will reinforce and contain the existing quality of openness. A ‘circular’ path, reinforced by new landforms, creates a route to unify the park and lead to facilities and delightful smaller spaces around the park edge, including a pedestrian canal side promenade. The proposals include strategies for biodiverse planting' (Adams & Sutherland website).

Sources consulted:

Bridget Cherry, Charles O'Brien, Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 5: East', Yale University Press, 2005. For Lansbury Estate: Elain Harwood 'Lansbury' in 'Twentieth Century Architecture 5: Festival of Britain' ed Elain Harwood and Alan Powers, The Twentieth Century Society, 2001

Grid ref:

TQ373814 (537350,181450)

Size in hectares:

4.6385

Site ownership:

LB Tower Hamlets

Site management:

Leisure Services, Parks and Open Spaces

Date(s):

1950s

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:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None

Bartlett Park with Celestial Church of Christ in near distance undergoing restoration and Canary Wharf behind, November 2011. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.