Paddington Green

Paddington Green is a small garden square in the north-east of the City of Westminster, London, and a surviving piece of the old village green from the days when Paddington was a separate village. Today it is a quiet patch of greenery, home to a memorial to a theatrical legend and a handy stop on walks through west London.

How did Paddington Green come about?

The earliest written record of the green dates to 1549. In 1753 Denis Chirac, owner of Paddington House, enclosed the land as an ornament for the parish, and in 1779 it was placed in the hands of three trustees. What had been open village common became a tidy square that kept its character as the city grew around it.

What is there to see?

The Sarah Siddons statue. The best-known feature is the statue of Sarah Siddons, the celebrated 18th-century tragic actress, by Léon-Joseph Chavailliaud. Sir Henry Irving, the leading actor of his day, unveiled it on 14 June 1897. Its pose is loosely based on Reynolds' portrait of Siddons as the Tragic Muse. The statue stands here for a reason: Siddons is buried in the churchyard of nearby St Mary's. It is Grade II listed. In 2011 it was vandalised, with the face damaged and the dagger broken, and some of the damage has since been repaired.

St Mary's Church. The Georgian church of St Mary was completed in 1788 to a design by John Plaw (1745-1820). The churchyard north of the green became a public garden after the 1852 Burial Act restricted burials.

A Cold War relic. The concrete block in the middle of the square is the remains of a Civil Defence Report and Control Centre that opened in 1953.

What else is the name associated with?

The name Paddington Green appears elsewhere in London's story. Paddington Green Children's Hospital stood beside the square from 1883 to 1987, Paddington Green Police Station is nearby, and a UK television series set in Paddington took the same name.

Getting there and how long to stay

The square lies at about 51.5204 N, 0.17525 W, a few minutes' walk from Paddington station and the Edgware Road area. Entry is free, and a visit usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, so it combines easily with other sights nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Is Paddington Green free to visit? Yes, it is an open public square.

Who was Sarah Siddons? One of Britain's most famous tragic actresses, buried in the churchyard of St Mary's beside the green.

When was the statue unveiled? On 14 June 1897.

Is this connected to Paddington Bear? They share a district name, but the green is a separate place tied to the history of the Paddington parish, not to the storybook character.