Soho Square Gardens

Overview

Soho Square Gardens, or just Soho Square as it’s also known, is a popular public park in central London. Located just behind Oxford Street, in the vibrant Soho area, this green space seems like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the capital and is the perfect spot to spend some quiet moments in nature.

Inside the free-to-visit park, there are four lawned areas with mature trees and shrubs, along with paved paths for walking. Solo travellers and couples will love strolling through the greenery, eating a takeaway lunch from one of the nearby cafes, or just relaxing and reading a book.

Soho Square Gardens is one of over 100 green spaces in the City of Westminster and is a great place to hang out when the weather is fine. The square also occasionally plays host to local events and art exhibitions.

When is Soho Square Gardens open?

Soho Square Gardens is open every day from 8am. The closing times for Soho Square Gardens vary throughout the year, closing as early as 5.30pm in February and as late as 9.30pm from May to July.

What is the Soho Square Gardens hut?

Inside the gardens, the most prominent feature is the mock-Tudor building which takes centre stage. The black-and-white half-timbered structure was built in 1925. It was initially created to disguise an electricity substation and is now used by the gardeners of the square to store tools.

Is Soho Square Gardens accessible?

Soho Square Gardens has disabled access.

Features of the park

Inside the park, you’ll find:

Lawned areas for relaxing and picnics
A statue of Charles II
A bench dedicated to Kirsty MacColl
Mature trees and shrubs
Vibrant flower beds
Well-maintained pathways
A half-timbered black and white building

Because of the variety of plants and flowers, each season in the park looks completely different. Visit in autumn to enjoy crunching through the fallen leaves from the trees and the orange and brown tones surrounding you, or in summer for lush greenery and vibrant blooms.

One of the benches in the park is a memorial to the late singer Kirsty MacColl, who wrote the song “Soho Square.” Fans of the singer arranged for the bench to be put there with an inscription of some of the lyrics from the song.

The edge of the park is surrounded by some interesting historic buildings, including:

French Protestant Church by Sir Aston Webb
Roman Catholic Church of St Patrick by John Kelly
House of St Barnabas

History of Soho Square

Soho Square Gardens was built on the site of Soho Fields and originally named King Square after Charles II. There is a statue of the king by Caius Gabriel Cibber, which has been in the square since 1681, although it was removed in 1875 before being returned in 1938.

It’s thought that Soho Square Gardens could be one of the earliest examples of an enclosed public garden in London. It has been a public park since 1954, when Westminster City Council leased it from the Soho Square Gardens Committee.

During the Second World War, the gardens had air-raid shelters constructed beneath them for local residents to use during the Blitz.

Things to do near Soho Square Gardens

With its incredible location in the heart of central London, there’s no end of things to do near Soho Square Gardens. Here are some of our recommendations:

Pop onto Oxford Street for a spot of retail therapy
Take a self-guided street art tour of Soho
Grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants nearby
See a show or a play on the West End
Visit Covent Garden, around a ten-minute walk away

How to get to Soho Square Gardens from YHA London Central

Soho Square Gardens is less than a mile away from YHA London Central. The easiest and most convenient ways to get there are on foot, by bike, or by public transport.

On foot: It takes approximately 15 minutes to walk from YHA London Central to Soho Square Gardens.

By bike: Cycling to Soho Square Gardens should only take about eight minutes. If you don’t have your own bike, London has Santander Cycles, a self-service bike-sharing scheme for short journeys. Simply pick up a bike from the nearest docking station, hire it, ride it, and then take it back to a docking station.

By public transport: From YHA London Central, you can walk to the bus stop at Capper Street and catch the 390 or 73 buses, alighting at Tottenham Court Road Station. From here it’s a two-minute walk to Soho Square Gardens. The whole journey should take about 15 minutes.

If you are coming from elsewhere in London, the nearest tube station to Soho Square Gardens is Tottenham Court Road on Oxford Street.

By car: It’s about a ten-minute drive from YHA London Central to Soho Square Gardens. The nearest car park is Q-Park Soho, a five-minute walk away. If you don’t have your own car in London, you could use a ridesharing app like Uber.