It is not uncommon to catch a glimpse of greenery poking out from the roof of a London building, but the chances of getting up to visit it are fairly slim — the majority of rooftop gardens in London are private.
But there are a few options for those who want their greenery served with a side of view and many of them are less well-known than you might expect. Here are a few to visit this summer.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank
Potentially one of the most established roof gardens in London, on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, this is a verdant world away from the hustle of the South Bank. Dense planting and scruffy lawns soften the surrounding brutalist buildings. It is home to more than 200 varieties of wildflowers, herbs, fruit trees and a cocktail bar. You might spot Head Gardener, Paul Pulford, taking care of the space, or leading eco therapy sessions.
Open Wed-Sun, noon-dusk; café & bar: Wed-Fri, 4pm-dusk; Sat & Sun, noon-dusk
Visit southbankcentre.co.uk
Beech Gardens, Barbican
For a long time much of the Barbican planting was simply lawns and rows of bedding plants. This all changed in 2015 when landscape architect Nigel Dunnett was invited to redesign the planting in Beech Gardens. He devised a naturalistic scheme for the raised planters that cycles through flushes of colour as the year progresses. A modern masterpiece.
Accessible via the footbridge at Barbican tube station, or from the steps outside the Barbican Theatre.
Visit cityoflondon.gov.uk
SOAS Japanese Garden, Bloomsbury
I didn’t know about this garden until very recently. Just off the West Corner of Russell Square (itself a greenspace worth visiting) you’ll find the SOAS Brunei Gallery, inside which is a small, tranquil Japanese roof garden.
Many of the elements of a Japanese garden can be found there, such as raked gravel, a checkerboard of low growing thyme and a wisteria clad pergola providing a shady space to sit and enjoy the garden in the cool of the summer shade.
Access from the 1st floor of the Brunei Gallery.
Open Tues to Sat from 10.30am to 5pm (Thurs until 8pm)
Visit soas.ac.uk
Aga Khan Centre, King’s Cross
The Islamic cultural centre features gardens dedicated to reflection, learning, light and tranquillity. Each of the spaces is designed with reference to traditional Islamic gardens, using the channels of water to divide the garden into quarters representing the four gardens of paradise. To see these gardens, you’ll need to book a free tour through the Aga Khan website.
Outside the Aga Kahn centre is Jellicoe gardens, inspired by the Persian Bagh-e Fin garden in Iran, which is always open.
Visit agakhancentre.org.uk
