Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I can sometimes be a little bit too liberal with the phrase ‘hidden gem’. But the surreptitious spot that I’m about to draw your attention to really does hit the brief. Glistening away over in Mayfair is a rooftop garden that’s truly stood the test of time. Dating back over 100 years, Brown Hart Gardens is a sky-high horticultural haven, offering peace, tranquility, and a whole host of fascinating stories to tell.
The history of Brown Hart Gardens
Originally named Duke Street Gardens, this rooftop spot actually started its life at street level as a community garden that was provided for the working-class houses that surrounded it. I’ll just let you digest that piece of information for a moment. Mayfair was indeed once considered to be working class. The construction of the Duke Street Electricity Substation led to the garden being removed. And despite it being a pretty darn gorgeous substation (designed in a Baroque style by Charles Stanley Peach), the local residents weren’t best pleased with the fact that they no longer had access to a community garden.
To compensate for the removal of the ground-floor garden, the Duke of Westminster (who was in charge at the time) insisted that a community garden be placed on top of the substation. And thus, Brown Hart Gardens was created. The 10,000 square-feet paved garden had trees and plants in tubs dotted around, and opened to the public in 1906.
The garden remained open to the public until the 80s, when it was closed by the London Electricity Board. But a new lease of life was given to the rooftop oasis in 2013, and it’s been going strong ever since. Various tweaks have been made over the years; the deck has been resurfaced, the drainage system has been redesigned, and the likes of a fancy water feature and a cafe have been thrown into the mix. But the history and charm of the garden has remained unfaltering.
Brown Hart Gardens nowadays
The electricity substation is still fully operational to this day, and if you put your eye (or your camera) right up to the metal grills that line some of the walls, you can see the machinery and equipment inside. The substation was actually given Grade II Listed status in the 80s. Yes, that’s how good-looking it is. Its unique architecture also sparked some speculation over the years, and there was once an urban myth that the reason it was built with such large doors is because it was where Queen Victoria kept her pet elephant.
Whilst that ended up not being true (shocking, I know); what we do know for certain is that Brown Hart Gardens is a pretty perfect spot to spend a sunny lunchtime in the capital city. It’s a peaceful retreat from the hubbub that continues on the streets below, and we highly recommend you seeking it out.
Brown Hart Gardens is open daily from 8am to 8pm and the closest station is Bond Street.
