Salters’ Garden | The City Sunken Garden Packed With History
Alongside London Wall in the City of London there’s a wonderful sunken garden that’s packed full of history; Salters’ Garden

But first…
Who are the Salters’?
The Salters’ are one of the City of London’s Livery Companies; guilds formed in Medieval times to regulate their trades.
Although they were probably going for centuries before, the Salters’ received their first license in 1394 from King Richard II.
Within the companies of the City, the Salters’ were one of the most important. They ranked 9th when the Order of Precedence was established in 1516. The Salters’ dealt – you guessed it – in salt. Salt was a hugely important commodity, not only for seasoning and preserving food, but also used in medical treatments.

At the north east end of the garden are some 19th century gates, part of Salters’ previous hall on St Swithin’s Lane, near Cannon Street
You can read more about the Salters’ Company here.

The Salters’ Garden is connected to their hall (the white building on the left of the image above), so it’s worth pausing to consider it before heading into the garden.
Salters’ Hall
The current hall – built 1976 by Basil Spence – stands out amongst other livery halls with its brutalist style of architecture. Their previous hall on St Swithin’s Lane (near Cannon Street) was destroyed by bomb damage in the Second World War.

They are right beside the Barbican Estate – probably the most famous Brutalist building in London and face onto Fore Street.

It was on Fore Street that at 12.15am on 25 August 1940 the first bomb of WWII fell on the City of London.

The Salters’ Garden
The original garden opened in 1981 but the one you can see today was designed by David Hicks and opened in 1995, to mark the 600th anniversary of the Company’s first license.

When I visited it wasn’t as colourful, but apparently in Summer it’s full of roses – I assume a nod to a key moment in history we’ll see shortly.
One particular reason to visit the garden, is its impressive section of London’s Roman Wall.

Originally built in the late 2nd Century, encircling the City, today most of the authentic Roman structure is below current day street level – hence the sunken garden.
But it’s worth looking a bit closer at the later additions too.
A unique feature of the wall in the Salters’ Garden are the red brick crenellations.

These were added to the City wall during the 15th century, specifically under King Edward IV (1442-1471) during the War of the Roses!
Although the majority of battles during the War of the Roses were fought outside the City, the City was a stronghold and whoever held it had a huge advantage. The most notable London battle was held at Barnet in 1471.

A nearby information plaque from the City of London gives passersby an illustrative breakdown
Today the garden is hired for private events but otherwise is open to the public daily.
More London Inspiration
As you walk along the traffic-packed Byward Street, with All Hallows Barking, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge in the distance, it’s thoroughly understandable that you’d miss a ghost station hiding in plain sight. Abandoned or ‘Ghost’ stations can be seen all over London......
Oxford Street has a bad rep from Londoners, but there’s a surprising among of fabulous history if you know where to look. From a hidden little oasis to the more gruesome reminders at Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch, often you have to look up......
By the Museum of London you can see an amazing little clue to uncover the history of the Bull and Mouth Coaching Inn...
I’m constantly surprised by the wonderful doors that have opened since starting this blog back in 2015. A case in point was that a few weeks ago I wrote about the extraordinary history of Crosby Hall; the Medieval Mansion that was moved 5 miles across......
If you look up along Ranelagh Gardens, atop the railway viaduct for Putney Bridge Tube Station, you can spy a curious WWII Relic; a Pillbox. This concrete pillbox was erected in 1940 across Britain, a final line of defence should Germany invade during WWII. They......
Look up at 22 Endell Street in Covent Garden, and you’ll see the striking facade of a former stained glass studio. Built in 1859 and designed by Robert Jewell Withers, between the multi-coloured decorative brickwork you can make out the proclamation in stone; Lavers and......
No Comments