St George's Fields, Westminster facts for kids
St George's Fields is a special area in London, located between Connaught Street and Bayswater Road. It used to be a burial ground (a place where people are buried) for a church called St George's, Hanover Square.
In the 1970s, it was no longer used as a burial ground and was sold. A group called The Utopian Housing Association, which helps provide homes, built new buildings there.
History of St George's Fields
The architects, called Design 5, designed the buildings in a special 'ziggurat' style. This means they look a bit like stepped pyramids. They managed to build about 300 homes while still keeping lots of open space.
Some parts of the old double walls around the burial ground are still there. People say these walls were built to stop people from digging up graves illegally. You can also still see some old tombstones.
For many years, this area was also used for archery (shooting with bows and arrows). That's why nearby places are named Archery Close and Archery Steps.
Visiting St George's Fields
Now, St George's Fields is privately owned. However, the gardens are opened to the public once a year as part of the London Garden Square Scheme. During this time, you can see one of London's oldest plane trees, which is very big – its trunk is over 18 feet around! This tree stands among many other beautiful trees in the grounds.
Even though the buildings themselves aren't 'listed' (meaning they don't have special protection), the area is part of the Bayswater Road Conservation Area. The City of Westminster created this area to protect the special look and feel of this historic place.
Getting There
St George's Fields is easy to reach. It's about a ten-minute walk from London Paddington station. The closest London Underground stations are:
- Marble Arch
- Lancaster Gate
Both of these stations are on the Central line.
You can also get there from Edgware Road station. This station serves the Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines.
The postcode to find the location on a map or GPS is W2 2YE.
