Garden Details
Rochester Square NEW
The Garden
Rochester Square began life in the 19th century as a plant nursery, complete with glass greenhouses and walls of iron railings, serving the surrounding Victorian neighbourhood. In the 20th century, it became home to Stroud Brothers Ltd — a floral-props business, supplying palm trees and plants to the film and theatre industry. Over time, the site fell into disuse. By the late 1980s it was largely derelict and was later occupied by squatters for more than 25 years. In 2016, artist Francesca Anfossi and her husband Eric Wragge purchased the site, clearing over 130 tonnes of debris to create a new, community-focused space.
The heart of Rochester Square is its holistic cycle: clay (ceramics), food (shared meals), and the garden. These three elements interweave in how the space is used and understood. The restored warehouse houses a ceramics studio with wheels, kilns, and open access for both professionals and amateurs. The garden isn’t just plants — it's also a gallery; a sculpture trail winds through the planting, with site-specific ceramic works responding to the natural landscape.
The garden is deliberately a mix of wild growth and more formal planted areas, emphasising a “wildness” that feels both organic and intentional. One notable project responded to Japanese knotweed, a notoriously invasive plant initially on the site. To celebrate its eradication, artist Tue Greenfort created glazed ceramic reliefs of the weed, turning a symbol of decay into art.
The founders imagine a creative “earth cycle”: clay comes from soil; objects are made and used e.g. tableware; and eventually it can be returned to the ground.
Further information on London Parks & Gardens Inventory
Visitor Information
- Open
-
Saturday 11:00–16:00
Sunday 11:00–16:00 - Activities
Wander through the garden and discover the Sculpture Garden - a trail of sculptural interventions nestled within the garden’s wild and cultivated landscape. Discover sculpture in ceramic, marble and other media by a range of established and emerging contemporary artists, each piece thoughtfully placed and curated by Laura Bartlett.
The planting is intentionally unpolished — the wild edges, the overgrowth, the mix of cultivated paths and rugged greenery make it feel like a refuge within the city.
- Picnics allowed.
- Entrance
- Rochester Square off Camden Road; main entrance via the large green gate
Nearest postcode: NW1 9SD - Buses
- Map of nearby bus stops
- Stations
- Camden Road, Camden
- Cycle hire station
- Bonny Street (Map)
- Toilets
- Toilet on site
- Access
- Garden presents challenges for visitors with limited mobility.
Uneven surfaces and some stairs might be challenging. - Dogs
- Dogs on leads welcome
