Ufford Street Gardens

Ufford Street Gardens is a small public open space near Waterloo, providing an important green space in an urban area.

Ufford Street Gardens is built on land once known as ‘Chalcroft Meadow’, part of the original Manor of Lambeth. In the early 19th Century it was redeveloped for housing, but by 1901 the estate was redeveloped by its owners, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who then set part of it aside for a new public open space. Lambeth Borough Council then laid out and opened the new open space in 1907. The site, as is the nearby street, is named after John de Ufford, Archbishop-elect of Canterbury, who died in 1349 before he could be formally consecrated to the title.

In 2008 Ufford Street Gardens were restored using lottery funding to improve its play and sports facilities, and to make it more welcoming and accessible. Further grant funding and the local community, represented by the Friends of Ufford Street Gardens, have continued to improve the site, helping add colour and diversity, and make it more welcoming and safer. It contains a children’s playground as well as seating, paths and a diversity of wildlife features including spring flowering bulbs, native hedges and pollinator-friendly herbaceous borders.

Ufford Street Gardens is one of Lambeth's Green Flag Award-winning parks, and a holder of a ‘Park of the Year’ award from London in Bloom. These awards recognise the achievements made to provide visitors to and residents of Lambeth with a clean, safe, welcoming and popular open space they can all be proud of.

Other useful information

• Friends of Ufford Street Gardens - Friends of Ufford Street Gardens
• Green Flag Award – Green Flag Award
• London in Bloom - London In Bloom