St George's Gardens

St George's Gardens is a public garden in Bloomsbury containing preserved monuments and gravestones set among winding paths and mature trees. The space spans just over 1 hectare and features landscaped areas enclosed by historic stone walls.

The land was acquired in 1713 as a burial ground for two nearby churches and became one of London's first cemeteries independent of churchyards. It was converted to a public garden in 1885 as part of the Victorian push to create accessible green spaces in dense urban areas.

The space keeps its burial ground heritage alive through gravestones and monuments scattered among the greenery, telling stories of those interred here centuries ago. Visitors can still see these memorial stones integrated into the modern garden landscape.

The garden has three entry points from Handel Street, Heathcote Street, and Sidmouth Street, and Russell Square station is close by for public transport access. The ground can be damp in places, especially after rain, so appropriate footwear helps visitors move about comfortably.

A protective wall built to guard against body snatchers in the 1700s still surrounds the garden today. This historic barrier reflects an unusual but very real concern that shaped cemetery design centuries ago.