St. John's Wood Church Grounds

St John’s Wood Church Grounds is a former burial ground in the City of Westminster, now a public park in the St John’s Wood district. It was once part of the Great Forest of Middlesex and later owned by the Knights of the Order of St John. The land passed to the Crown at the Dissolution of the Monasteries and was sold in 1732. By the 19th century it became a church and burial ground, closed in 1855 and turned into a garden in 1886. The site holds around 50,000 graves, including those of artist John Sell Cotman and prophetess Joanna Southcott. The grounds are recognised as a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, and the only Local Nature Reserve in Westminster. Since 2004 it has held a Green Flag Award for excellent green spaces. Owned and managed by Westminster Council, the park has formal flower beds, a wildlife area and a children’s playground. The wildlife area includes hedges, a meadow and woodland mixed with old gravestones. It is a good place to spot butterflies and lies opposite Lord’s cricket ground between St John’s Wood High Street and Wellington Road. Visitors find a peaceful park with well-kept flower beds and shaded paths winding past weathered gravestones. The wildlife area offers a small meadow and patches of woodland where wildflowers grow. A playground provides space for children, while benches allow others to sit and watch butterflies. The contrast between the formal garden and the wild corners creates a quiet retreat. The park’s history is visible in the remaining gravestones and the layout of paths. It stands as a reminder of the area’s past while serving as a valued green space today.