St John's Lodge Garden in London: photos, reviews

About

St John's Lodge Garden in London stands out as a serene oasis amidst the city's hustle. This beautifully landscaped retreat, designed by renowned architect Robert Weir Shultz, captivates visitors with its exquisite collection of over 30 varieties of roses, each displaying their vibrant blooms. As you wander through the wisteria-clad entrance tunnel, the tranquil and meditative atmosphere instantly envelops you. A small fountain, gracefully accompanied by a statue, adds to the garden's charm, making it a perfect spot for reflection. With an impressive average rating of 4.9 on Google, this hidden gem promises an enchanting escape for all who enter.

How to get here?

The nearest public transport options for your convenience.

Baker Street Station (Stop E)

Bus stop 817 m walk

Chester Gate (Stop Q)

Bus stop 515 m walk

Regent's Park Barracks

Bus stop 604 m walk

London Business School (Stop LB)

Bus stop 785 m walk

4.9

based on 207 reviews

Google

4.9/5 207 reviews

Maria Olivia

Wonderful secret garden

Pahris

St John's Lodge Garden – that deliciously clandestine horticultural hideaway that bills itself as Regent's Park's "secret garden" whilst simultaneously appearing on approximately every London garden blog known to humanity. It's marketed as a garden "designed to be meditative," though one suspects the 3rd Marquess of Bute never anticipated his peaceful retreat would become a pilgrimage site for Instagram-wielding meditation enthusiasts. The garden announces its secrecy with all the subtlety of a theatrical whisper – tucked behind "an open cast iron gate (one open, one closed, usually)" that "looks like it might be a private garden" but absolutely isn't, darling. This is urban camouflage at its finest: a garden playing hard to get whilst leaving its door perpetually ajar. I arrived expecting horticultural tranquillity and instead found myself in what appeared to be an outdoor mindfulness workshop. The garden writhed with visitors practising various forms of contemplative tourism – some photographing every urn with archaeological intensity, others performing what I can only describe as competitive serenity. The design itself is undeniably exquisite – Robert Weir Shultz's 1889 vision of "a series of compartments ornamented with sculpture and stonework" creates an intimate theatre of botanical excellence. The rose garden's "four quarter beds around a central basin" with their "circular and semi-circular plantings" demonstrate geometric perfection that would satisfy the most obsessive-compulsive garden designer. The Royal Parks work admirably hard "to maintain the garden as a quiet space," though they're fighting a losing battle against the gravitational pull of social media-ready serenity. Yet when you catch it in an unguarded moment – perhaps early on a Tuesday when the only witnesses are the genuinely knowledgeable gardeners – the space reveals its authentic magic. The "over 30 types of rose, mainly old roses" create a fragrant symphony that could convert even the most committed concrete enthusiast. The wisteria-clad entrance tunnel genuinely does make you feel like Alice tumbling into horticultural Wonderland, albeit one with significantly better maintenance and fewer talking rabbits. St John's Lodge Garden succeeds magnificently at being beautiful whilst failing spectacularly at being secret. It's a horticultural paradox – a genuine oasis of tranquillity that's been discovered by everyone seeking undiscovered tranquillity. Five stars for the garden design. Two stars for the "secret" element, which has about as much mystery as a Tesco's opening hours. Bonus points for providing an excellent case study in how to market solitude in the age of crowd-sourced serenity.

mirca b

A Little piece of paradise on earth. Un giardino "segreto" luogo di contemplazione da godere appieno.

St John's Lodge Garden in London

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