If you work in Mayfair and want to catch stingrays during your lunch break this summer, we have good news. The West End’s second largest green space is back and has some shiny new features.
Residents of Mayfair must have noticed the fence blocking the entrance to Grosvenor Square. The green space closed on June 8 last year in preparation for what its landlord, property giant Grosvenor, called “the most significant private investment in public green space in the West End in a generation.”
Now the 300-year-old park is ready to welcome people again. Grosvenor Square will reopen to the public on Monday 20 July and will be transformed into a first-of-its-kind biodiversity haven.
Now home to 150,000 plants, bulbs and new trees, Grosvenor has been redesigned to provide a more tranquil, environmentally friendly green space for residents of central London. Crops increased from less than 1 percent to almost 50 percent. Newly introduced plants and flowers will grow and mature, making the landscape richer and more vibrant over time. New forests and wetlands were introduced to become home to more wildlife.
Photo: GrosvenorNew kiosk cafe in Grosvenor Square.
The horticulturists behind the development have added aspects that make it a better place for people to relax too. The entrances to Grosvenor Square have been improved and 300 seats have been added. Public restrooms, water fountains, improved lighting and CCTV have been installed to make the area easier to navigate, more welcoming and safer after dark. In addition, the new café kiosk will serve sandwiches, ice cream, cakes and coffee throughout the day.
The Mayfair greenbelt also features a new education center offering London Wildlife Trust programs for children and adults to learn about biodiversity.
Grosvenor Square’s owners have invested £25 million in the renovation, which includes some agricultural references to its three-century history. The oval-shaped gardens, built in the 1720s, have been restored. The park’s existing memorials to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Eagle Squadrons and the victims of 9/11 were integrated into the new layout.
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