Reflection Garden; a Secret Oasis in the City of London
A tranquil oasis tucked away in the City of London, St Paul’s dome a perfect reflection in the pool, benches nestled amongst lush seasonal greenery and bird and bat boxes and insect hotels. This is what awaits you at Reflection Garden; one of the best hidden things to do in London. Read our guide for everything you need to know.
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Hidden from the view of the city’s streets, this secret garden in the City of London goes unnoticed by passers-by and provides a tranquil oasis in the heart of the city’s bustling streets.
The focal feature of the garden is an oval pool that perfectly reflects St Paul’s dome in the water and is one of the most beautiful things to see in London!
Nestled around the garden amongst the foliage and overlooking the pool are benches; perfect for busy city workers to gain a moment of quiet or tourists wanting a break from the hustle and bustle of seeing as much as possible with their weekend in London.
The garden will improve biodiversity through its plants and shrubbery which change with the seasons and climate conditions as well as bird and bat boxes and insect hotels. The reflection pool also provides urban cooling.
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Reflection Garden is a collaboration between the City of London Corporation, international real estate company Pembroke and landscape design practice Tom Stuart-Smith. Water feature specialist Andrew Ewing created the pool.
The garden forms part of the City of London Corporation’s vision for the future of the Square Mile – Destination City – ensuring it remains a world-leading leisure location for workers, visitors and residents to enjoy.
Destination City will celebrate, promote and support the Square Mile’s history and heritage, its arts and culture and its exceptional restaurants, cafes, hotels, pubs and bars.
The programme was launched in 2022 and measures have been designed to boost the vibrancy of the City of London, drive forward its recovery from the pandemic and increase its attractiveness.
There are many features of the programme including year-round events, seasonal arts and culture activities, increasing al-fresco dining, improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and creating new public spaces to complement the popularity of the Sky Garden and Garden at 120; two of the best free things to see in London.
Reflection Garden forms part of a refurbishment of 25 Cannon Street by Pembroke, providing high-quality office space with sustainability central to its design. The building operates on renewable power and targets the highest energy efficiency rating while carbon emissions were reduced during construction.Â
We’ve visited Reflection Garden a few times and it truly is one of the most wonderful hidden things to do in London. Sitting amongst the trees and flowers gazing at the reflection of the majesty of St Paul’s early in the morning is the perfect way to start your day.
What You Need to Know
How to get to Reflection Garden
Reflection Garden is located at 25 Cannon Street, EC4M 5TA. There are multiple ways of getting there:
- Tube: several tube stations are within walking distance: St Paul’s (4 minutes) Mansion House (3 minutes), Bank (8 minutes) Cannon Street (7 minutes) and Liverpool Street (20 minutes).
- Train: City Thameslink (8 minutes), Cannon Street (7 minutes), Blackfriars (10 minutes) and Liverpool Street (20 minutes).
- Bus: bus routes that stop near or at St Paul’s Cathedral are: 4, 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 56, 76, 100, 172, 242 and 521.
- River bus: take a river bus to Blackfriars or Bankside Pier. Both are a 10-minute walk.
- By bike: there are bike racks around the city to lock your own bike. Alternatively, there are Santander and Lime bike docking stations within a couple of minutes’ walk. Cycling is also one of the best ways to get around the top things to see in London.
Plan your journey using the TFL Journey Planner.
The best time to visit Reflection Garden
For city workers, we’d recommend visiting before work, maybe bringing your morning coffee here. When the weather’s nice, the garden can become quite busy with people enjoying the tranquillity of the gardens during their lunch break.
For tourists, the weekend is a great time to visit as the City of London is very quiet.
We’d recommend timing your visit with visiting St Dunstan in the East; an urban oasis where old beautifully fuses with new as bombed-out church walls sit sandwiched between glitzy skyscrapers and modern buildings.
Opening hours and cost
The garden is free to visit and open any time of the day.
I hope you enjoyed our guide to Reflection Garden, this is truly one of the best hidden things to do in London. Make sure you save it to Pinterest to come back to.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to check out our other London posts.
