Park of the week

141. Inigo Jones Garden

This garden, in Covent Garden, is the churchyard of St Pauls Church, also known as the Actors’ Church, because of its long association with the theatre community. It’s named after Inigo Jones, the architect of the church, as part of his instructions to create a piazza surrounded by four streets, mansions and a church. Chiselled into a column of the church is an inscription highlighting the spot where the first Punch and Judy show was first performed, and witnessed by Samuel Pepys, in 1662. The church is a Grade I listed building.

The garden is enclosed by surrounding buildings, one being the church. The space is paved, with two raised grass areas on either side of a central path, with trees. There are lines of benches backing onto the grass areas, each with a dedication to a theatre personality.

The burial ground was consecrated in 1638, but in 1853 it was closed to burials, and in 1855 the tombstones were removed or laid flat. There are memorial plaques to famous actors in the garden and inside the church, including Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Gracie Fields, Vivien Leigh, Ivor Novello, Barbara Windsor, Diana Rigg, and the My Fair Lady lyricist, Alan Jay Lerner.

I noticed this small sign in front of a tree in the garden.

The Queen’s Green Canopy was a UK-wide planting initiative to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. People were invited to “plant a tree for the jubilee”, to create a legacy in honour of the Queen’s leadership of the nation. Over three million trees were planted across the UK.

I also noticed this intriguing plaque, on the railings looking over an “entry” (as we say in Liverpool), an alley or gap between two tall buildings.

A lightwell is an external space that allows light and air to reach what would be a dark or unventilated area. The buildings must have been built on what was originally the burial ground. I was very taken with the idea of a light well, before I looked the term up, and pictured a bucket being drawn up, filled with light. Perhaps I’ll put it into a story, one day.

Judith Field

Inigo Jones Garden, St Pauls Church, Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ED