The best of Chelsea by the people who know - Cadogan

39 | THINGS TO DO | Green spaces
Garden party
You don't have to look too hard to find
a calm, green space to transport you
from all the bustle of the King's Road.
Here are our pick of some of the area's
greatest gardens
Royal Hospital – South Grounds
and Ranelagh Gardens
Ranelagh Gardens opened in 1742 and
were designed as pleasure gardens, a
popular attraction of the time. A Chinese
house was built and a huge rotunda
staging classical music concerts provided
a grand centrepiece. A young Mozart
performed there in 1764. However, by
1805 the site had deteriorated and was
closed.
The Royal Hospital acquired the gardens
and a summer house was built for
the pensioners there in 1834. John
Gibson, the designer of Battersea Park,
redesigned the gardens in 1860, along
with the South Grounds — famous as the
site of the Chelsea Flower Show, which
Ranelagh Gardens
takes place in May. Other events and
fairs are also held there.
The grounds include sports areas for
football, tennis and netball (see Sports).
Opening times: April 1-30 10am-
7.30pm, May 1-August 31 10am-
8.30pm, September 1-30 10am-7pm,
October 1-30 10am-5pm, November 1-
March 31 10am-4.30pm, open from
2pm on all Sundays.
Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital
Road, SW3 4SR. T: 020 7881 5200
(Switchboard, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk
Open Garden Squares Weekend
Open Garden Squares Weekend is a rare
chance to see some of the hidden gems
of Chelsea, with gardens not normally
open to the public welcoming visitors.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea is one of the biggest contributors
and around 80 gardens in the area
took part last year, including Markham
Square and Paultons Square.
The event will take place on June 9-10
in 2012.
www.opensquares.org
Chelsea Common
Chelsea Common used to be around 30
acres, but as Chelsea developed, buildings
and roads encroached on the land,
and this pretty garden is the last remaining
piece.
Cale Street, SW3
Chelsea Embankment
There are several small, pleasant gardens
near the Thames, including the
Chelsea Embankment Gardens outside
Chelsea Old Church and the St Thomas
More Gardens, which feature a statue of
More. The gardens were created after Sir
Joseph Bazalgette built the Thames
embankmentbetween 1869 and 1874.
Chelsea Embankment, SW3
Chelsea Physic Garden
This is a different kind of garden – one
that’s not only beautiful, but useful.
There are more than 4,800 kinds of
plants in the four-acre space, and there
is an emphasis on those that have a
practical purpose.
There are plants that are used in medicine
— both in pharmaceutical treatments
and in cultures throughout the world —
perfumery, aromatherapy and rare vegetables.
Collections are grouped around
little signs marking uses like dermatology
and parasitology , and there are
earthy-smelling glasshouses of ferns and
more exotic plants.
The garden was founded by the
Society of Apothecaries in 1673 and
leased to them for £5 a year in perpetuity
from 1722 by Sir Hans Sloane — on the
condition it stayed a physic garden. The
sum is still paid to his heirs at Cadogan
by the charity that runs Chelsea Physic
Garden today. Sir Hans himself is immortalised
in a statue in the grounds.
It is like a living museum, and there is
a walk showing the work of different
people associated with its history, including
Philip Miller, William Hudson, Sir
Joseph Banks and William Forsyth. The
Grade II*-listed pond rock garden, created
from stones from the Tower of
London, Icelandic lava, fused bricks and
flint, was completed in 1773.
The garden has a wide-ranging events
programme, from workshops in beekeeping
to photography and making
cosmetics. There is a caf (see Eating
section) and the garden welcomes people
with disabilities (telephone in advance
for details about access).
Adults and senior citizens £9;
students, unemployed and children (five-
15 years) £6; Friends of the Garden and
companions of disabled visitors are
admitted free. Assistance dogs only.
Maximum of two children allowed per
accompanying adult.
Opening times: April 1-October 31,
Tuesday-Friday 12pm-5pm, Sundays
and bank holidays 12pm-6pm, last
admission 30 minutes before closing.
66 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HS
T: 020 7349 6458
www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk