Drapers' Hall Garden is part of the original garden bought by the Drapers’ Company from King Henry VIII in 1543. It remained a welcome retreat until Throgmorton Avenue was built in 1874, when the Great Garden had to make way for the demands of the commercial City. The upper garden near Drapers’ Hall was retained and renovated. Today's layout dates from 2014 when the company celebrated the 650th anniversary of the 1364 Royal Charter from King Edward III.
The anniversary was a welcome opportunity to rework the planting and layout of the courtyard garden and Hannah Gladstone (a graduate from Capel Manor College) was commissioned as the designer. The linear layout was softened and the planting scheme entirely renewed, whilst preserving the garden’s historic and serene atmosphere. Today, mulberry trees and a magnificent magnolia dominate the garden. Cromwell would be pleased that, following in the historic tradition, there are still fruit bearing trees, herbs, roses and flowering plants, providing colour (with an emphasis on azure and gold from the Company’s coat of arms), scents and interest.
Containers and recycled items hold a variety of pollinating plants in this secret roof garden, which also boasts beehives and amazing, iconic views across the City.
Situated next to All Hallows Church on a busy road through the City, the award winning Nic’s Secret Garden and Plant Rescue Nursery is a small oasis in the urban city jungle, an exemplar of one person's passion for horticulture.
This award-winning wildlife garden is a unique nature conservation site, tended by volunteers from the Barbican Wildlife Group and the City Gardens Team to enhance biodiversity in the City.
Sunken garden at the rear of 900-year-old St Bartholomew the Great Church, rescued from the wild by local residents. Mulberries and other fruit tasting. Refreshments. Music.
The beautiful, secluded garden of the Stationers' Company offers a sense of history in its peaceful seating. This hidden treasure in the heart of the City of London is an inspirational example of a shaded garden.
