History of parks and open spaces in Tower Hamlets

The parks and open spaces of Tower Hamlets have come about through a variety of processes. Some public open spaces were the result of deliberate design or policy, while others are the result of historic accident or expedience. There were broadly three periods during which public open spaces were created in Tower Hamlets.

The first, was the deliberate creation of Victoria Park in the mid 19th century, the late 19th century saw the second period with the conversion of churchyards into public gardens and the most recent was in the mid 20th century after World War 2.

Various open spaces are the result of late 18th and 19th century urban design. Some of the most curious spaces are the remnants of commons and greens from this period.

Many churchyards, particularly in the west of the borough became public open spaces managed by the local authority. Having been closed to further burial use because they were full, they were converted in the second half of the 19th century into public gardens.

In the 1990’s the London Docklands Development Corporation created a number of river and dockside spaces, and the creation of public spaces continues to today with new areas arising from developments such as Canary Wharf.

Find out more about the history of the parks and open spaces (word 79k)