“Fluffy clouds” or giant animal turds? Step into Goldington Crescent Gardens. It is a pocket park with a story.
Goldington Crescent Gardens offers a peaceful escape. It is near St Pancras station. This small curved garden was once private. It belonged to the houses of the Crescent.
In the early 1800s London expanded. The main road next to the park was built. Goldington Crescent was developed by the Duke of Bedford. An oval garden was created for the houses. It had a simple lawn and path.
There is a story that the garden came before the houses. It is uncertain if that is true. A urinal stood at the north end for public use. The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association provided a water trough for horses.
The Duke of Bedford wanted to donate the gardens in 1889. He wanted a Polytechnic college built there. He also considered letting them sell the land. They could use the money for a bigger site. The London County Council stepped in. They used Midland Railway funding to buy the garden. It was to remain an open space.
After opening to the public the garden was redesigned. A single path ran through the middle. It reflected how people walked anyway. Today a main path remains. The southern end now faces Pancras Road. It used to face Goldington Street.
In 2010 art came to the park. Some say they look like giant animal droppings. They were intended to be fluffy white clouds. They were not popular when installed. The art added texture. The park was once a flat lawn. Now it has piled-up mounds.
Look for a small black box. It is next to the southern entrance. It is an early electricity junction box. It served the St Pancras Power Stations. These were the first public power stations built by a local authority. Private power companies were used elsewhere.
These boxes were called Lucy Boxes. The Lucy Foundry in Oxford made most early ones. This one likely connected to the tram network. The network ran past the pocket park.
Nos. 5-12 Goldington Crescent was built around 1849-50. The Duke of Bedford and Mr A Wilkinson owned the land. They each owned half the houses. Occupants of the houses paid for garden maintenance. Now the gardens are open to everyone.
A late 19th-century double cattle trough sits to the north. The Metropolitan Cattle Trough and Drinking Fountain Association donated it. Robert Worley created a new sculpture in 2010.
Goldington Crescent Gardens is an oval space. Railings enclose it. It has grass, trees, and a serpentine path. The terrace restoration won a Civic Trust Award.
The gardens are protected. The London Squares Preservation Act of 1931 covers them. They offer a peaceful green island. You can see an old church from here. Goldington Crescent Gardens provides a relaxing atmosphere. Despite differing opinions it’s a pleasant green space.