St Paul's Churchyard - Eden at St Paul's
A small open space next to St. Paul's Church, Clapham, which is also home to 'Eden at St. Paul's', a small and popular community garden. The site is holder of a prestigious 'Green Flag Award', the national standard for quality parks and green spaces which is run by the Civic Trust and supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Green Flag Award recognises the significant achievements of local residents, the church parish and council to provide the community with a green space everyone can be proud of.
Address: Rectory Grove, SW4
Tube: Clapham Common (Northern Line), 0.5 miles (0.7 km)
Rail: Clapham Town (South Eastern Trains), 0.3 miles (0.4 km)
Buses: 77, 87, 88, 322 and 417 (from Brixton, Clapham Junction, Stockwell, Vauxhall and Waterloo)
See a location map of St Paul's Churchyard - Eden at St Paul's
St Paul's Churchyard
St Paul's Churchyard is a small open space surrounding the Church of St Paul, which used to be the original parish church for Clapham until the building of Holy Trinity on Clapham Common in the late 17th Century. When the churchyard was closed to burials in 1854, its care passed through a number of organisations, until it came under the responsibility of Lambeth Council in 1965. The lower part of the churchyard was made into a children's play area, and the upper section as a garden of rest.
A public footpath, Matrimony Place, passes straight down the middle of the churchyard between Rectory Grove and Wandsworth Road. This path was recently improved, with new fencing, lighting and surfacing by a partnership of Lambeth Council and the Parish Council.
Eden at St Paul's Community Garden
The churchyard is home to Eden at St Paul's Community Garden, an innovative scheme which operates a wildlife-friendly, environmentally sustainable garden and community resource. The garden features a composting club, recycled art projects, informal training in horticulture and a safe free play area for local children. The project, which occupies an area of land to the north of Matrimony Place, also offers opportunities for organic vegetable growing and a place for peaceful contemplation.
Eden at St Paul's was originally set up with support from Lambeth Council, the Church Parish Council and local groups to offer training in horticulture for people with long term mental health issues, and has been widely recognised for its achievements in this field.
Eden at St Paul's is currently Lambeth's only holder of a Green Pennant Award, a national scheme that recognises quality green spaces in England and Wales which are managed by voluntary or community groups. The Green Pennant Award has an impressive background, and is part of the Green Flag scheme, the national standard for quality parks and green spaces. The Award is run by the Civic Trust and supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Help us look after St Paul's Churchyard
Lambeth Parks and Green spaces manage St Paul's in partnership with Eden at St Paul's and the Church Parish Council. It is patrolled by the Lambeth Park Rangers, and also comes under the area patrolled by the Clapham Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team of the Lambeth Borough Police, who work in close partnership with the council, Park Rangers and the Church Council to ensure the site is safe and welcoming for everybody.
Please remember that dogs are not allowed in much of the churchyard, especially Eden at St Paul's and the formal gardens. This is for the comfort and safety of children and their carers and also helps to protect local wildlife.
For more information on St Paul's Churchyard and Eden at St Paul's, and how to help keep the site clean, green and safe please contact us on 020 7926 9000 or email us at parks@lambeth.gov.uk
How can I find out more?
You can find out more about the St. Paul’s Churchyard, Eden at St. Paul's, the Green Flag/Pennant Award schemes, and what we can do for our parks and open spaces by clicking on the following links.