From the towering glass skyscrapers to the bustling weekday hustle, the City of London is not exactly famed for its green space. However, there are some beautiful hidden gems nestled within our iconic concrete jungle, including London’s oldest public park, which will soon undergo some dazzling redevelopments to “retain its character as a green haven” in the heart of the city.
Finsbury Circus Gardens is currently the focal point of a major transformational project that’s set to completely modify the Grade II listed site for a modern London.
Since getting planning permission back in 2022, some epic plans have been put into place to improve and revitalise the space. For over a decade, a lot of the gardens were used during the construction of the nearby Liverpool Street Crossrail Station, and with its completion comes the perfect opportunity to transform the local area.
The City of London’s plans for Finsbury Circus Gardens are set to be completed later this year, with the finished scheme wanting to provide an improved green space for locals and commuters alike. Expect improved seating, pathways, and new areas of planting around the central lawn, introducing a wide range of species and habitats for birds, bees, and bats, with hopes of enhancing the local biodiversity in the process.
Other plans include enhancing the accessibility throughout the gardens, improving sustainability to match with the city’s plans, and celebrating the heritage of this historic park and gardens.
Although rather minuscule when compared to Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath, Finsbury Circus Gardens is the largest green space within the City of London, and is also the oldest park across the entire city.
Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Natural Environment Board, Caroline Haines, said: “Not only are City open spaces hugely important for people’s health and wellbeing, they also play a vital role by increasing the Square Mile’s resilience against climate change.”
When combined, these smaller parks, churchyards, and plazas deliver the highest recreational and health benefits out of all the organisation’s open spaces, with their other parks including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, and West Ham Park.
According to a study, these smaller parks even have a benefit-to-cost ratio of 87.7, meaning that every £1 spent on maintenance gives a return of £87.70 in public benefits.
To stay up to date on the Finsbury Circus Gardens, click here to visit their website. The gardens are located at Finsbury Circus, City Of London EC2M 7DT, and plan to reopen later this year.