Five... historic London gardens you can explore
Opening their doors to you next month
Hi and welcome to your weekend newsletter…
This edition’s a handful of historic London gardens opening their doors to the public next month as part of Open Gardens 2025.
Running 7th-8th June 2025, it’s a chance to explore behind the scenes at more than 100 London gardens across the city — a lot of them private, that otherwise don’t have regular public access. I’ll be loitering around Approach Gardens in Bethnal Green, personally — not the most history-steeped of the Open Gardens Programme but (although I’m local, I firmly believe this is an unbiased, objective take) probably one of the loveliest community projects in the weekend’s line-up.
Emery Walker’s House, Hammersmith
Any time I do the walk (*pub crawl) from Chiswick to Hammersmith, along Chiswick Mall, this is one of the properties I want to vault the garden walls of and roam inside. And for one weekend you can, no vaulting required. Emery Walker — printer, and close friend of William Morris — lived here for 3 decades in the early 1900s and left behind a garden garlanded with history, including a grapevine descended from the one at Hogarth’s house, and terracotta tiles from the late 1800s. Plus some very nice views of the river.
Emery Walker’s House, Sunday 8th June, 2-5pm
Inner Temple Garden, City of London
One of London’s four ancient Inns of Court, standing on land originally owned by the Knights Templar, Inner Temple and its grounds have survived centuries of change.
The Temple archives record the first gardener being appointed for the grounds in 1307 — and, although it’s been redesigned at various points across the centuries, signs of its history are scattered throughout, including iron gates from the 18th century, and some trees approaching 300 years old.
Inner Temple Garden, Sunday 8th June, 1-5pm