The Phoenix Garden is a volunteer-maintained community garden on Stacey Street, behind the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End. Paths wind past flowers, mature trees, shrubs and wildlife features, with benches where you can pause between visits to Soho, Covent Garden or Chinatown. Look for the pond, water features and log piles, which provide habitat for wildlife. It is a small, quiet place for a short break from the surrounding streets, with planting that changes through the seasons.
A garden on a former bomb site
The space now occupied by the Phoenix Garden was created during the Second World War, when bombing left the area in ruins. After the war, the site was used as a car park. Local residents reclaimed it in the early 1980s and established a community garden.
The garden takes its name from the nearby Phoenix Theatre. It was later affected by Crossrail works and reopened after a renovation in 2017. Rubble from the bomb damage was used to build dry-stone walls, connecting the site’s present-day planting with its earlier history.
Plants and wildlife
Volunteers maintain the garden’s plants, flowers and wildlife features. The planting includes bee-friendly flowers, with echiums, red salvias, golden nettles and clematis among the varieties recorded here. Mature trees and seasonal greenery add to the changing scene through the year.
Look around the pond and water features, as well as the log piles, bird feeders and planted areas. These provide places for wildlife to feed and shelter. Sparrows and frogs are among the animals associated with the garden, alongside birds and squirrels.
Finding a quiet place to pause
The Phoenix Garden is on Stacey Street in St Giles, behind the Phoenix Theatre and just off Shaftesbury Avenue. Its paths and seating make it easy to take a short break while exploring the West End. Benches are set among the planting, and there is also a hanging seat.
The garden is maintained by the local community, including volunteers who care for its plants and wildlife. Its compact size suits a brief visit rather than a long walk. If you are coming to sit and eat, bring something with you; the garden is a place to pause outdoors, not a dining venue.
Perguntas frequentes
Is The Phoenix Garden free to visit?
A visitor account describes the garden as free to enter. Check its website for current visitor information before you go.
Where is The Phoenix Garden?
It is on Stacey Street in London’s St Giles area, behind the Phoenix Theatre and close to Shaftesbury Avenue.
What can you see at The Phoenix Garden?
The garden has flowers, mature trees, paths, benches, a pond and other wildlife features. Look out for birds, squirrels and frogs.
When is a quieter time to visit?
Weekdays are suggested for a quieter visit.
