Venue Review

Character: Secret Garden in deepest Chelsea

Funky Features: Romantic walled garden with intriguing historic features

Location and History

Established by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 when the site still consisted of fields and orchards by the River Thames, the Physic Garden evolved into one the most important botanical gardens in the world. In 1712, the famous physician Hans Sloane (of Sloane Square fame) acquired the manor of Chelsea and generously granted the Garden a rent of £5 in perpetuity on condition that the garden was always ‘maintained as a physick garden’. Today London has few urban residential areas much more exclusive than this corner of Chelsea. A 20 bedroom mansion overlooking the Physic Garden recently went on the market at a not so giveaway price of £32 million. But remarkably for a such a precious piece of real estate, the rent remains a fiver to this day.

In the 18th century, the Chelsea Physic Garden achieved world fame and was a Mecca for such eminent gardeners as Carolus Linnaeus, the famous Swedish botanist who created the binomial nomenclature of plants. At the same time, it was also a key source of research on cash-producing crops, some of which changed national economies. Its most famous head gardener, the Scottish horticulturalist Philip Miller sent out cotton to the new colony of Georgia, thus setting the American south on its route to economic prosperity.

By the 19th century the Physic Garden was in eclipse and for much of the 20th century it remained largely closed to the outside world though it continued to be used for scientific research as it is today for over 5000 useful species of plants. In 1983 it became a charity and opened to the public for the first time.

Interior and Exterior

Its unique location and sylvan character make this lush 3.8 acre walled garden beside the river a secret treasure and a wonderfully peaceful place to hire. The orangery that was built on the site in the 18th century was demolished when the garden fell into decline in Victorian times but, the Edwardian offices and tearoom that replaced them in 1902 are pleasant and the garden and its features remains intriguing, lovely and historically fascinating. Features accessible to guests include Europe’s first rockery and a ‘cool conservatory’. That’s cool in the temperature sense of course.

Spaces for Hire

The main attraction is obviously the garden itself. This is available for hire with or without a marquee erected on the lawn and the fee also provides access to the downstairs reception room beside the curator’s home in the main building. This homely and simple turn-of-the-(19th) century building faces onto Royal Hospital Road, opens onto the garden at the back.

Upstairs the lecture room with its large wooden lectern upstairs still feels it should be full of earnest Edwardian botanists. An ideal setting for the sort of press launch where you want to strike a serious scientific note perhaps or the lecture room can be rented with or without exclusive use of the garden.

Capacities: With Marquee:  325 Seated / 400 Standing

Reception Room: 70 Seated / 120 Standing

Lecture Room: 120 Theatre Style

A favourable comment from a previous client:

“Thank you once more for a brilliant day at your enchanting venue.  Everyone enjoyed it immensely, and complemented the warm atmosphere which no plush hotel could even have rivaled!”
- Claire Murphy/BP