Park of the week

159. St Alphage Garden

St Alphage Garden is an example of how you can be walking around in the City of London, surrounded by tall, modern buildings, when you come across something different. I hadn’t planned to visit it but just happened to walk past. It’s an urban garden in the City of London, off London Wall.[ It was converted from the former churchyard of St Alphage London Wall in 1872. The north edge of the garden has a section of the ancient London Wall, built below current street level between 190 and 225 AD.

The wall was crenellated in 1477 during the Wars of the Roses, to help protect the city. was also given the diamond pattern, known as ‘diapering’. This was a popular design in the 15th and 16th centuries, created from glazed bricks. The word ‘diaper/diapering’ originally referred to the geometric, repeated pattern. It later became associated with the same pattern on linen and cotton. This was the material used to make what the Americans call ‘diapers’ for babies.

The Garden and the nearby Barbican garden were among the worst bombarded areas in London during World War II and the wall was revealed when the buildings around it were destroyed during the Blitz. Under the post-war rebuilding programme, provisions were made for open spaces and gardens and St Alphage Garden was one of them. 
The wall at St Alphage's Gardens contains a large population of the fern maidenhair spleenwort. There’s also black spleenwort, hart's tongue, and pellitory-of-the-wall. Wonderful names. The garden has flower beds, benches, magnolia, and oak tree.

The priory of Elsing Spital, just to the south of the wall, was established here in 1331 by wealthy City merchant, William Elsing. The ‘spital’ bit comes from ‘hospital’, because it provided hospitality, food, shelter and care for poor people. It was probably more like an almshouse. The remains of this tower are all that is left.

Judith Field

St Alphage Garden, Barbican, London EC2Y 5DE