Happy 50th birthday, Battishill Street Gardens!

Fifty years ago today, a new pocket park was opened in Islington.

Battishill Street Gardens (also known as Battershill Gardens) was opened on 30 June 1975, the first purpose-built garden in Islington since the Second World War.

Earlier this year, Heritage of London Trust restored its spectacular 73-foot-long Victorian frieze. The frieze by sculptor Musgrave Watson adorns two sides of the gardens and the restoration project included repair to the stonework and replanting of the flower beds by Islington Council.

Alfred Head, Borough Architect for Islington between 1968 and 1983, led the project. In the midst of his commission which was to include a children’s playground, Head discovered a brilliant new opportunity. Now aged 102, he is proud of his role in the project to bring the Victorian frieze to Battishill Street Gardens 50 years ago:

“I learned of the story of the frieze’s preservation in a courtyard at UCL, following the demolition of the Hall of Commerce building in Threadneedle Street.

‘The frieze was being offered for disposal to make room for a new building. The next day I made my way to UCL and drew sketches of each of the stone slabs.

‘From this I was able to draw the original layout of the frieze. The University was happy to have the frieze removed and transported to the site at Battershill Street at no cost. 

‘The Council’s building contractor, to whom I was responsible for the construction of the housing scheme and gardens, was happy to make changes and accept the former children’s play area to be replaced by the frieze. 

‘Next I personally drew up the plans for the installation. Two pieces of sculpture were missing, which I made myself having attended evening classes. One of the sculptured heads that I made as replacements was modelled on a colleague, the project architect Helen Stafford, later Helen Watters.

‘On completion of the housing scheme, I phoned John Betjeman to invite him to open both the council housing and the new sculptured gardens, which he was delighted to do.

‘On the day of the inauguration, I picked him up from his office in the City and drove him to Battershill Gardens. So he arrived in my old Ford rather than his Bentley, something that he found very amusing.

‘I’m pleased I was able to see the opportunity of incorporating the Commerce Frieze and thereby preserving a piece of London history. As a Londoner that was important to me.’

The Commerce Welcoming All Nations Frieze was restored by Islington Council and Heritage of London Trust with support from the Jones Day Foundation. 

Young people were involved in the project as part of our Proud Places programme and local school children joined the unveiling of the restored frieze in May 2025 alongside the local community.

Proud Places wins Employer of the Year at the Southwark College Awards

Congratulations to our Proud Places team who won Employer of the Year at the Southwark College Awards last week.

Proud Places team members Ife Davies and Beth Leong were thrilled to win the award, in honour of their hard work and dedication in giving students from Southwark College work experience opportunities, building their skills and confidence.

Amie Fofana, from Southwark College commented, “We’re so grateful for the time, opportunities and encouragement Proud Places has given our students. It’s made a real difference. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the upcoming academic year and building on the great work we’ve done together so far.”

Ife Davies said, “This is our first award from a school that we have been working closely with this year; it’s encouraging for the Proud Places team to know that in helping young people navigate their future every effort counts!

“We started working with Southwark College students in January 2025 and our work continues to grow."

“We have had the privilege of seeing these students grow in confidence, produce amazing work and step out of their comfort zones to speak in public. The Proud Places programme supports students in reaching their full potential by offering alternative ways of learning.

“It was truly inspiring attending their end-of-year awards, learning about each young person’s achievements, and an honour to share the stage with them!”

The Proud Places programme has included site visits to Christchurch Fountain in Southwark and the Surrey Street fountain in Croydon; creative workshops, and careers and presentation skills workshops as well as work experience for Southwark College students.

The programme is supported by the Jones Day Foundation and has involved more than 8,500 people since 2020. Last year we hosted 54 young people for work experience.

Refugee Week 2025: Celebrating Karel Vogel with young refugees

This Refugee Week, we're celebrating the work of refugee artist Karel Vogel, and his ability to inspire today's young refugees.

Refugee Week is the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees.

Last year, Heritage of London Trust restored Karel Vogel's Leaning Woman statue in Hammersmith. A beautiful piece of public art, Leaning Woman was commissioned by the London County Council in 1958. Artist Karel Vogel had arrived in Britain from Prague in 1938, escaping Nazism.

As part of the award-winning restoration, young refugees have taken part in Proud Places youth engagement projects, learning more about the artist, the sculpture and the importance of public art and the heritage of Hammersmith.

Young refugees visit the Leaning Woman statue in Hammersmith as part of the Proud Places youth engagement programme

'I found it interesting that the sculptor came to London from Czechoslovakia because World War II started and it wasn’t safe. But now he’s become part of this history and culture,' said Lysander, age 18.

'I really liked visiting the Leaning Woman and learning about Karel Vogel. I found his story really inspiring,' added Assan, age 16.

As well as being inspired by the artwork and learning about the site's history, the students benefitted from engaging in related art projects, including working with clay and testing their skills at stonemasonry. Importantly, the workshops were accessible to everyone who took part, irrespective of language differences.

'People like us who come from other countries know the historical sites in our countries, but it's good to see what's here in the UK so we can learn about different traditions and civilizations,' said Vicky, age 18.

'This art is meaningful to me, because it was made by a refugee,' added Hasti, age 18.

The students from West London college enjoyed their visit to Karel Vogel's statue

This Refugee Week, we're thrilled that thanks to HOLT's restoration work and Proud Places, Karel Vogel's exquisite artwork can continue to inspire young refugees.