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Inventory Site Record

Garden of Rest Marylebone (Westminster)

Brief Description

The Garden of Rest Marylebone is a small memorial garden adjacent to Marylebone Parish Church, the 4th church to serve the parish. The first was near Marble Arch but in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, replaced in 1740 by another small church, itself replaced when the current church was built to the north in 1813-17. The old church was closed in 1926, but not demolished until 1949, following WWII bomb damage. Its site is now that of the Garden of Rest, created in 1951, with the foundations of the church marked. The garden is predominantly paved with some planting and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including one to Charles Wesley erected in 1858 who had been buried here in 1788.

Practical Information
Previous / Other name:
St Marylebone Church; Old Church Garden
Site location:
Marylebone High Street
Postcode:
W1U 5BA
What 3 Words:
wedge.tight.bound
Type of site:
Public Gardens
Borough:
Westminster
Open to public?
Yes
Opening times:
7am - dusk
Special conditions:
Facilities:
Events:
Public transport:
Tube: Baker Street (Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan, Jubilee), Bond Street (Central, Jubilee). Bus: 18, 27, 30, 205, 453; 2,13,30,74,82,113,139,189,247
Research updated:
01/04/2011
Last minor changes:
20/07/2023

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

Full Site Description

The first church of the parish of Tyburn was built c.1200, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and stood near the present Marble Arch. When this was demolished in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, its site now that of the Garden of Rest at the north end of Marylebone High Street. It was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin by the Bourne, referring to the Ty bourne or stream that ran into the Thames from what is now Regent's Park. The dedication gradually became St Mary le burn, then St Marylebone. The Elizabethan philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was married there in 1606, and the interior of the church was accurately portrayed by the artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) in the marriage scene from 'The Rake's Progress' (1735). The church was replaced in 1740 with another small church on the same site. Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was then living and working in Marylebone and during his last illness he sent for the Rector of St Marylebone, Revd John Harley (of the family after whom Harley Street is named), and asked to be buried in the churchyard. He died on 29 March 1788 and his body was carried to St Marylebone Church by eight clergymen of the Church of England. A memorial stone to him stands in the gardens in the High Street, erected in 1858 close to where he was buried.

The Garden of Rest Marylebone is on the site of the old chapel, which was not closed until 1926. It suffered bomb damage in WWII and was eventually demolished in 1949. The Garden was laid out on the site in 1951, with the foundations of the old church outlined in brick. The garden is predominantly paved in York stone, with some planting, and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including that to Charles Wesley.

Sources consulted:

Church website www.stmarylebone.org, History sections; Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England London 3: North West' (Penguin, 1999 ed); WCC Harley Street Conservation Area Audit, 2009

Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
Grid ref:
TQ283820 (528326,181960)
Size in hectares:
Site ownership:
St Marylebone Parish Church
Site management:
WCC Parks Service
Date(s):
1951
Designer(s):
L de Soissons
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:
Harley Street
Tree Preservation Order:
Not known
Nature Conservation Area:
No
Green Belt:
No
Metropolitan Open Land:
No
Special Policy Area:
Other LA designation:
None
Photos

Garden of Rest Marylebone

Garden of Rest Marylebone - memorial to Charles Wesley - Photo: Colin Wing
Date taken: 20/07/23 11:29

Click a photo to enlarge.

Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.