51°30′53″N 0°7′43″W / 51.51472°N 0.12861°W / 51.51472; -0.12861
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The Phoenix Garden is a local community garden located behind the Phoenix Theatre, London in St Giles, London, England, in the London Borough of Camden.[1] Established in 1984 by local volunteers, it is the last remaining Covent Garden Community Gardens. Built on a former car park and World War II bombsite, it is home to an urban wildlife population including the West End's only frog population.[2] Phoenix Garden is open daily and is run by volunteers as a registered charity, funded through donations as well as grants.[3]
History
[edit]Phoenix Garden was established in 1984 by local volunteers on land that had been in use as a car park which itself was the site of a World War ll era bombing.[1] Part of a wider movement in the Covent Garden district in London during the 1970s and 1980s, Phoenix Garden is the last remaining of the seven original community gardens.[1] Prior to its opening to the public in June 1984, the site had been home to many homes, as well as a pub. While currently designated as a Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO), it was previously managed under the Covent Garden Open Spaces Association.
Originally operating for 30 years from a temporary concrete building meant to last around 5 years, new funding was secured during the building of the nearby Central St Giles complex, allowing for major infrastructure improvements for the garden. The garden received £300,000 towards renovations and secured a 20 year lease in 2015 helping to ensure Phoenix Garden's long term future.[1]
Ecology and community usage
[edit]Open daily to the community, Phoenix Garden offers visitors access to wildlife in an urban setting. Some of the wildlife attractions include insects, birds, bees, as well as urban wildlife that are attracted to the garden.[2] The garden contains an open meadow area and rockery, a pond, as well as a children's play area. There are thick shrubberries with young trees planted as well as native wildflowers such as Silene dioica, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, and Geum urbanum. The site is a favorite of small birds like tits and finches.[4]
The garden also hosts regular community events such as yoga, garden volunteering, art workshops, among other events throughout the year. The garden is also open to paid services such as wedding events and commemorative plaque making as well as being available for booking for other events.[5]
Design and architecture
[edit]A new multi-purpose garden building designed by Gurmeet Sian was commissioned with work beginning in October 2015 and being completed in October 2016. The building, built to be a part of the garden rather than just in the garden, is used to run the charity and its events. The building contains a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a tool shop. There is also a bio-diverse brown roof, rooftop propagation area, and rainwater catchment that can be used to water the garden.[1]
Built with the concept of "garden walls" and a focus on sustainability, the building contains super insulating materials, air source heat pumps, water harvesting systems, as well as green roofs. These features are meant to reduce environmental impact as well as enhance biodiversity in an urban setting.[6]
The building has won many awards including RIBA London Award, Camden Design Awards, while being a finalist for awards such as the RIBAJ MacEwan Award and NLA Awards.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "About". Phoenix Garden. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Phoenix Garden". visitlondon.com. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ "The Phoenix Garden". londongardenstrust.org. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ "Phoenix Garden". GIGL. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ "Weddings". Phoenix Garden. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Office Sian". Office Sian. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
