Winchester Palace Garden is a unique heritage and urban green space nestled in the ruins of Winchester Palace on Clink Street, London SE1 9DN: one of the most historically significant medieval sites in the capital.
This shady sunken garden brings together centuries of heritage with contemporary community and environmental action, creating a place that is as much alive today as it was in the Middle Ages.
A Window into Medieval London
Winchester Palace was the London townhouse of the powerful Bishops of Winchester, originally constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. At that time, Southwark was part of the Diocese of Winchester, and the palace served as a hub of ecclesiastical, political and social life.
Its location opposite the City of London, on the south bank of the River Thames, made it a critical seat of influence, fitting for bishops who frequently acted as royal treasurers and advisers.
Only a few walls survive today, but they speak to the scale and importance of the original structure. The Great Hall’s west gable wall, complete with its magnificent 14th-century rose window, remains visible from the street, inviting passers-by into a story that stretches back nearly a millennium.
Over time, much of the palace was lost to fire and redevelopment. A blaze in 1814 destroyed large portions of the building, and only during the late 20th century were the remaining walls fully revealed and recognised for their historic significance.
For more on the site’s history, see English Heritage’s Winchester Palace page.
A Garden Grows in the Undercroft
In 2014, after years of local fundraising, planning and collaboration, a medieval-inspired garden was created among the ruins of Winchester Palace’s Great Hall. This project was led by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) in partnership with local residents, English Heritage, Southwark Council and Schroders, supported by volunteers and community donors.
The idea for the garden originated from the local community, with the aim of transforming what was once a gloomy, mossy ruin into a space that honours the site’s past while making it relevant and welcoming today.
Plants were carefully chosen not only for their connection to late medieval gardens, such as shade-loving and structurally historic species, but also for their ability to thrive in the shaded undercroft environment. The result is a horticultural expression that respects the past while providing year-round interest and biodiversity.
Volunteers now maintain the planting, supported by BOST’s professional gardening team, giving the garden a living, evolving presence.
Caring for Community and Wellbeing Across SE1
Winchester Palace Garden is one of many green spaces cared for by Bankside Open Spaces Trust, a charity that works to create, restore and maintain parks, gardens and community spaces in the SE1 area. Since its foundation in 2000, BOST has helped develop over 45 sites, each contributing to community wellbeing, urban nature and cultural life.
From Red Cross Garden, an award-winning Victorian garden originally designed by social reformer Octavia Hill, to Crossbones Garden, a memorial garden with deep cultural resonance, BOST’s network offers places of rest, play, reflection and connection throughout central London.
These spaces are used daily by residents, office workers, visitors and school groups, helping to reduce urban isolation, enhance mental wellbeing and create opportunities for outdoor learning and community involvement.
A Rare Corporate Partnership Opportunity
We invite a corporate partner to join us in supporting Winchester Palace Garden and the wider network of BOST-managed spaces. This is not a typical sponsorship, it is an opportunity for meaningful, hands-on engagement that delivers measurable social and environmental impact.
How your organisation can be involved:
- Green Team Corporate Workdays: One lunchtime a month, your staff can join BOST volunteers in gardening tasks that sustain Winchester Palace Garden and other SE1 green spaces.
- Team wellbeing and community impact: Participants benefit from outdoor activity, team building and direct contribution to community health and connection.
- CSR and ESG alignment: Your involvement supports measurable environmental stewardship and social value outputs that can be reported in CSR/ESG frameworks.
Because Winchester Palace Garden is small, historically sensitive, and community-centred, opportunities for corporate engagement are intentionally limited. This makes participation a rare and impactful chance to contribute time, skill and care to a historic urban green space that truly belongs to everyone.
Get Involved
To find out more about this corporate partnership opportunity, contact Nicola at nicola@bost.org.uk. Learn how your organisation can help grow wellbeing, community and heritage across SE1.
Further Reading and Resources
- English Heritage: History of Winchester Palace — https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/winchester-palace/history/
- Bankside Open Spaces Trust: Winchester Palace Garden — https://bost.org.uk/winchester-palace-garden
- London SE1 News: Winchester Palace garden project — http://www.SE1.news/view/8473
