Surrounded by the built form of urban London, St Swithin’s is a key green space within the heart of the City.

The design for St Swithin’s Church yard was informed both by the history associated with the garden and the potential of the garden to provide a valuable green pocket within the City of London.

The dynamics of the space were influenced by the introduction of curves which represent movement through the garden. These curves relate to those of the surrounding built form and are informed by the hard and soft spatial arrangement of the garden. All these elements are fixed to create a pattern which is the basis of the landscape design and underpins the design intent.

On entering the garden, visitors are greeted with tables of Sarcoccoca humilis and Taxus baccata. The main statement trees within the garden are columnar forms of Camelia. These specimen trees provide scale and give an instant visual impact to the garden. Large columnar Magnolias create a statement to the west elevation of the garden providing a visual backdrop to the louvered façade of the surrounding building. Other plants such as Erica arborea ‘Alpina’ and Caryopteris clandonensis act as ground cover whilst specimen shrubs such as Eucryphia nymansay and Rhododendron create scale within the planting palette.

The plant material selected for the garden was carefully considered for its ability to deal with the location and conditions associated to the site. The initial site survey showed the soil was acidic, therefore, by carefully selecting the correct soil specification, a planting palette suited to ericaceous soils was developed. The plants selected were also shallow rooting to minimise the effect to below ground conditions, with minimal excavation needed on site.

Beyond the planting scheme a large slate feature wall provides a backdrop to the Glyndwr memorial: an existing 10 ft. high sculpture within the garden dedicated to Catrin the daughter of Welsh legend Owain Glyndwr, and whom is buried at St Swithins. The sculpture is crafted out of Gelligaer bluestone and has a curving naturalistic form. Its flowing lines leading from the stone base to a bronze tip suggests two figures: a mother protecting her child. The sculpture represents the suffering of women and children in war and celebrates the enduring spirit of Wales. The sculpture was relocated as part of the project to a prominent position in the north east corner of the garden.

To celebrate the Welsh history associated with the garden, Welsh slate was used for the bespoke seating and mulch. The flowing pathway was constructed from resin bound gravel to provide a natural informal appearance which complemented the slate. The Yorkstone retained from the previous garden, which is thought to be some of the oldest in the City of London, was reused within various elements including steps and copings. The existing brick boundary wall was retained and extended and the original railings and gates refurbished.