Inventory Site Record

Queen's Walk was laid out in 1730 for Queen Caroline on the east side of Green Park, probably by Royal Gardener Charles Bridgeman. However from the late C18th an important group of small pleasure grounds were gradually carved out of Green Park to form private gardens for the aristocratic townhouses facing the park, and in 1795 the land east of the Queen's Walk was formally severed from the Park.

Site location:

Queen's Walk Gardens, St James's

Postcode:

SW1

What 3 Words:

take.poems.gender

Type of site:

Private Garden

Borough:

Westminster

Open to public?

No

Opening times:

private

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: St James's Park (District, Circle), Green Park (Victoria, Piccadilly, Jubilee)

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Research updated:

01/11/2007

Last minor changes:

14/07/2022

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news.

Marquand and Leverton's Plan, which is now in the Public Record Office, allocated private garden plots to each dwelling in Arlington Street and St James's Place, which faced the park. Numerous contemporary houses survive include No.16 Arlington Street by James Gibbs (1736), No.21 Arlington Street by James Leoni (1738), No. 22 Arlington Street (Wimbourne House) by William Kent (1740-45), Spencer House in St James's Place by John Vardy (1752-54) and Bridgewater House by Sir Charles Barry (1854). None of the garden layouts survive intact, although the gardens of Spencer House (q.v.) and Bridgewater House retain much of their original character. Sections of the late C18th boundary railing along the eastern edge of the Queen's Walk survive. The original gardens of Spencer House and No. 21 Arlington Street were laid out by Henry Holland (1795) and Giacomo Leoni (1738) respectively.

Sources consulted:

Simon Bradley and Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England London 6: Westminster', (Yale University Press, 2003) p.656

Grid ref:

TQ291800 (529085,180140)

Size in hectares:

Site ownership:

Private gardens overlooking park (various owners)

Site management:

Date(s):

1795+

Designer(s):

John Marquand and Thomas Leverton

Listed structures:

LBI: 16 Arlington Street, Spencer House. LBII*: 21 Arlington Street, 22 Arlington Street, Bridgewater House. LBII:

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:

St James's

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None

Queen's Walk - Photo: Pamela Paterson (1995)

Click a photo to enlarge.