Hidden Histories of St John’s Garden
We're lucky to be located in Clerkenwell, London's 'first village,' with 900 years of history to explore. Created and installed by volunteers in Spring 2025, the Hidden Histories Trail is a series of interpretation boards dotted across the Garden, accompanied by an illustrated map, surfacing little-known stories and encouraging visitors to pause and reflect on the past lives of the Garden and the people who walked its paths.
Wander through the garden to discover the stories behind the history.
Each interpretation board has been carefully researched by volunteers. Many thanks to the archive collections of the Museum of the Order of St John, the London Archives, Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre, Islington Archives and Diana Clements, scientific associate at the Natural History Museum, for sharing resources, expertise and helping to unearth stories and images that have long been buried out of sight.
