Secret Gardens in London (You’ve Never Heard Of)

A divisive but dramatic garden with panoramic views of London, Sky Garden is the perfect meeting point between urbanity and nature. 

It’s often likened to an airport lounge in the sky and we can sort of see why, given its location on a rooftop in Fenchurch! 

You can enter for free, but you have to book a spot if you want to visit.

One of our all-time favourites, the Barbican is a rainforest in the centre of London, home to exotic plants and a reformed gang of turtles. Happily, not the Mutant Ninja kind.

Simply put, Sky Garden is London’s largest public rooftop garden, with beautiful views and no entry fee (and no need to book, unlike Sky Garden). What's not to love?

Another top contender for one of the best secret gardens in London, St Dunstan in The East is a hauntingly beautiful place shrouded in history.

All that stands now are the bombed-out remains of Gothic ruins and lush greenery, great for exploring and photography.

Aptly-named, Postman’s Park is a peaceful spot near St Paul's where the postmen and women of yesteryear used to eat their lunch. 

Known for its memorial to local heroic self-sacrifice and shaded gardens, this is a great spot to appreciate the many layers of London history.

Tucked away in Mayfair, this former burial ground is now one of London’s most peaceful and well-kept gardens. 

At a glance, you’d never know that for over a century, this is where the corpses of labourers in the nearby workhouse would be laid to rest.

Founded in 1673, this tucked away botanical garden helped shape modern medicine and travel. Plus, it’s stunning (and home to the world’s northernmost growing grapefruit, which is pretty cool).

A garden named after a Dutchman in Little Venice!? Although thoroughly European-sounding, Rembrandt Gardens is a charming canalside garden saved from destruction and named after the Dutch painter.

Intriguingly, Rembrandt wasn’t the only artist to have left his mark on the area. The famous poet, Robert Browing, lived there for 25 years and is said to have planted trees in the area.

You’ve probably walked past this futuristic canopy hiding exotic plants and cross-continental design a million times before. If you want to check it out, you’ll find it right in the heart of Canary Wharf.

Once a raised electricity substation, now a relaxing, elevated garden space in the middle of Mayfair, this place is a trivia-fiend’s dream. 

There are loads of great facts about it, like, for instance, it’s illegal to be “idle”, “drunk”, “unclean”, “in a verminous condition” or “practice gymnastics” there. Why? 

It’s technically part of the Grosvenor Estate, and its rules state that all these things are prohibited on penalty of prosecution.

From public executions to tennis matches and theatre, this historic green space has transformed into a lively, leafy retreat, perfect for watching the world go by or doing some exploring.

East London wasn’t always a gentrified mish-mash of bakeries and organic coffee roasters, and to provide it: this place. 

Arnold Circus is a bandstand surrounded by history and community gardens in what was once London’s worst slum and first ever council estate for “the deserving poor”.

History lovers, listen closely. Bunhill Fields is a fabulous, slightly spooky nonconformist burial ground turned public garden, steeped in London’s radical and literary past. 

You’ll find plenty of buried greats here, as well as one or two ghost stories.

A lesser-known gem in South London with terraced gardens and a peaceful woodland walk, The Rookery is a great place to retreat into nature. 

It’s a Grade II Listed Historic Garden with ponds, plantbeds, a café, and a rock garden running with streams.

Someone’s CV once contained the charming and glorious sounding title of “Royal Duck Keeper”, and if you’ve ever wondered where such a person might have lived: it’s here, in this architectural oddity hidden away in St James’s Park

Once a swamp, now an elegant riverside garden with sculptures and beautiful views that only the very posh can afford to live near. Luckily for us (and perhaps you!), it’s free to visit.

Never heard of the name Bessborough? No, we hadn’t either until we researched it! 

This post-WWII garden with quirky features like a dolphin fountain and tucked-away benches was named after a distinguished British politician who held the Home Secretary post in 1834, and it’s a lovely place to enjoy some rare sunshine in London.

Ideal if you’re doing some sightseeing or checking out the many local museums, St Mary Abbots Gardens is a serene retreat in Kensington, hidden behind the church of the same name.

Regent’s Park’s most fragrant secret, this garden hosts the largest collection of roses in London and it’s also where Pongo met Perdy in the 101 Dalmatians story. Aww.

Apparently one of England’s most haunted places, Eltham Place is a secret garden in London where nature rubs shoulders with an Art Deco mansion, complete with ancient trees and mysterious legends…