Lost Gardens of London

Disappointing exhibition at the Garden Museum looking at London gardens which are now lost.

There were some fascinating stories but it all felt quite random. The show needed more structure and a stronger narrative. This could have been done with chronology or geography. It was also a shame that a disproportionate number of the exhibits were reproduced images.

I felt the broad overview meant that a number of more obvious lost gardens were missed such as Tradescant’s Ark which was on the site of this museum and I didn’t spot Vauxhall gardens. Chatting to a friend after he mentioned monastery gardens which were also missing.

It might have worked better as a series of shows on areas of London or dates rather than trying to cover everything in one hit.

Have a picture of Smith’s Dust Heap. Not a garden as such but a notable landscape feature of Regency London it was eventually removed in 1848 'bought in its entirety by the Russians to help make bricks to rebuild Moscow”.

Closed 2 March 2025


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