Let’s Draw St John’s Wood

Saturday 20th September 2025

Led by Mark Owen and Diane Umemoto

St Johns Wood Church Gardens lies at the heart of St Johns Wood, a bustling and exclusive residential area of North London.

Bordered by Lords Cricket Ground, The Regents Canal and the northern fringe of Regents Park, the busy (and expensive) St Johns Wood High Street and the extensive mid-century low rise blocks of flats typical of north London. Originally the graveyard for the attached classical style St Johns Wood church at the south of the park the park still retains a number of grave stones –including that of John Sell Cotman, of Cotman watercolours–around its outside edges despite being deconsecrated and used as a public park and gardens since late Victorian times. 

Opportunities to draw

The gardens themselves are full of opportunities to draw with numerous benches throughout, a children’s playground, an outdoor gym and floor chess and table tennis all set in a quintessentially English urban park, all large shady trees, area of grass, formal flower beds and an air of it being well used and ever so slightly dishevelled. There are glimpses of the church, urban street life, the ultra modernity of Lords Cricket ground and traffic from all sides. And a lot of squirrels!

Across the road is Lords cricket Ground dominated by the futuristic Media centre floating above the western edge of the ground.

The Regents Canal and tow path is accessible just south of the Gardens and can be followed along the edge of Regents Park – there are a number of striking girder bridges over the canal nearby with Regents Park itself closely. Just over the canal on the NW corner of Regents Park is the London Central Mosque – a towering 1970 building with a prominent golden dome.

Just outside the entrance on the high street side is London’s very first green cabbie shelter, still functioning and now grade II listed. Out the opposite entrance  by Regents Park is a flashy statue of St. George and the Dragon presiding over the roundabout. 

St Johns Wood High Street is a bustling affluent high street full of subject matter – cafes, pubs, shops, deliveries, shoppers, scaffolding along its whole length while St Johns Wood station is a a grade II listed 1930s station bolted onto the side of flats with its own little gardens replete with palms. A short walk away from the station along Grove End Road is Abbey Road with a certain zebra crossing.

To the east there are wonderful and beautifully kept mid-century low rise private blocks of flats with interesting entrances, gardens, balconies and windows while to the north there are some wonderful tall Regency terraces with elaborate carts iron balconies and railings.

And in the gardens – squirrels!

Practical Information

Getting there

The nearest Underground Station is St Johns Wood on the Jubilee Line. From there, it’s an 8 minute walk south along the Wellington Road. The station is accessible for wheel chair users.

The meeting point is across the road from Lords Cricket Ground and is well served by buses 13 113 755 and 757.

Toilets

There are toilets inside the gardens close where we will meet. 

Refreshments

Aside from the aforementioned  19^th c.  taxi stand, the Good Life Eatery is just on the corner of Wellington Place and St Johns Wood High Street. Further afield, St Johns Wood High Street has a number of independent cafes as well as the usual chains including a Pret and a Tesco Express.