Park of the week

197. Whittington Garden

Whittington Garden, a pocket park in the City of London, is named after Lord Mayor Richard Whittington, the inspiration for the character "Dick Whittington" in the children's story and pantomime "Dick Whittington and His Cat”. He rebuilt the nearby church of St Michael Paternoster Royal at his own expense in 1409, also founding a college and almshouses. He was buried in the church in 1423. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt by Wren by 1694. 

The site of the public garden was on the riverbank in Roman times and later was the site of buildings connected with the fur trade. These were demolished after bomb damage in WWII and the Corporation of London acquired the site in 1955, for “the enjoyment of the workers”. The garden was laid out in 1960 with a largely paved area in the west and grass, flower beds and trees in the east. A small fountain was constructed in the west section in the late 1960s.

The garden was refurbished and redesigned in autumn 2005, and in the same year, two bronze sculptures of lone caped horsemen, were presented to the City of London by the Italian President on his state visit to the City. These sit on granite plinths in one corner. They are titled “Magister equitum” and were sculpted by Dutlio Cambellotti in 1924. I’m afraid I had trouble working out what the statues represented.

The east section of the garden is now surrounded by hedge, and mainly contains grass, shaded by trees. There are also hedges, planted beds and benches.

Judith Field

Whittington Garden, Upper Thames Street, London EC4R 2RH