Lost Gardens of London

Lost Gardens of LondonDid you know that Southwark once had a zoo? That for a short spell Britains first ecological park was built within a stones throw of Tower Bridge? Or that one of the capitals most celebrated botanical gardens now lies near Waterloo station? Lost Gardens of London reveals the secret history of some of Londons most beguiling forgotten gardens. Thousands of gardens have vanished across London over the past five hundred years ranging from princely

Did you know that Southwark once had a zoo? That for a short spell Britain’s first ecological park was built within a stone’s throw of Tower Bridge? Or that one of the capital’s most celebrated botanical gardens now lies near Waterloo station? Lost Gardens of London reveals the secret history of some of London’s most beguiling forgotten gardens.

Thousands of gardens have vanished across London over the past five hundred years – ranging from princely pleasure grounds and private botanical gardens, to humble allotments and defunct squares, artists’ gardens, eccentric private menageries and the ecological parks of the twentieth century.

This catalogue accompanied our 2024 exhibition, Lost Gardens of London, and was written by landscape architect and historian Dr Todd Longstaffe-Gowan. It explores London's garden legacy and reveal tantalising glimpses of some of the rich and varied gardens that once embellished the metropolis.