St George's Fields (Bayswater, London)
Encyclopedia
St George's Fields are a former burial ground of St George's, Hanover Square, lying between Connaught Street and Bayswater Road
de-consecrated and sold off by the Church Commissioners
in the 1970s to be built upon by a housing trust
.
The architect Patrick Hodgkinson (see also the Brunswick Centre
, Holborn) used a ziggurat
style of building retaining much of the open space whilst creating 300 dwellings. Parts of the double walls surrounding the burial ground - reputedly designed to frustrate grave robbers - have been preserved along with a number of tombstones.
The burial ground was also used for years as an archery
ground, hence the nearby Archery Close and one of the new buildings being called Archery Steps.
The estate is now in private ownership however the grounds of St George's Fields are opened to the public once a year under the London Garden Square Scheme when one of London's oldest plane trees
, with a girth of over 18 ft (5.5 m), may be seen set amongst the other trees.
Although the buildings on the estate are not listed they have been included within the Bayswater Road Conservation Area
established by the City of Westminster
to preserve the amenities of this historic area.
Within ten minutes walk is London Paddington station The nearest London Underground stations are Marble Arch
and Lancaster Gate
on the Central line
.
Post Code to look up location on either GPS or a map is W2 2YE.
Bayswater Road
Bayswater Road is the main road running across the north of Hyde Park, London. To the east Bayswater Road becomes Oxford Street . It is where the fictional upper middle class Forsyte family live in the BBC series the Forsyte Saga...
de-consecrated and sold off by the Church Commissioners
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
in the 1970s to be built upon by a housing trust
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
.
The architect Patrick Hodgkinson (see also the Brunswick Centre
Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre is a grade II listed residential and shopping centre in Bloomsbury, Camden, London, England, located between Brunswick Square and Russell Square....
, Holborn) used a ziggurat
Ziggurat
Ziggurats were massive structures built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, having the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels.Notable ziggurats include the Great Ziggurat of Ur near Nasiriyah, Iraq; the Ziggurat of Aqar Quf near...
style of building retaining much of the open space whilst creating 300 dwellings. Parts of the double walls surrounding the burial ground - reputedly designed to frustrate grave robbers - have been preserved along with a number of tombstones.
The burial ground was also used for years as an archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
ground, hence the nearby Archery Close and one of the new buildings being called Archery Steps.
The estate is now in private ownership however the grounds of St George's Fields are opened to the public once a year under the London Garden Square Scheme when one of London's oldest plane trees
Platanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
, with a girth of over 18 ft (5.5 m), may be seen set amongst the other trees.
Although the buildings on the estate are not listed they have been included within the Bayswater Road Conservation Area
Conservation Area (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the term Conservation Area nearly always applies to an area considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest, "the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance," as required by the Planning ...
established by the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
to preserve the amenities of this historic area.
Within ten minutes walk is London Paddington station The nearest London Underground stations are Marble Arch
Marble Arch tube station
Marble Arch is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. The station is between Lancaster Gate and Bond Street stations on the Central line, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
and Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate tube station
Lancaster Gate is a London Underground station located on the Central Line near Lancaster Gate on Bayswater Road in Bayswater , to the north of Kensington Gardens. It is between Queensway and Marble Arch on the Central line and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:Lancaster Gate station was opened on...
on the Central line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
.
Post Code to look up location on either GPS or a map is W2 2YE.