Coordinates: 51°29′13.4″N 00°00′28.5″W / 51.487056°N 0.007917°W / 51.487056; -0.007917 Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs—hence the name 'Island'—in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The park was formally opened on 3 August 1895 by prominent local politician Will Crooks—one of many local improvements he instigated.
It is notable for its spectacular cross-river view of the classical buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum, with Greenwich Park forming a backdrop. The northern entrance of the Greenwich foot tunnel is also within the park. It is almost certain that the view from this location is the one that the Canaletto painting 'Greenwich Hospital from the North Bank of the Thames' is taken from, though whether Canaletto himself actually visited the site is in doubt.
The park also gave its name to Island Gardens DLR station. This opened in 1987 as the southern terminus of the DLR's initial system, and was an elevated terminal station situated to the west of the park. The later construction of the DLR extension to Lewisham involved a tunnel under the Thames, and Island Gardens station was relocated approximately 100 metres (330 ft) north, close to the northern entrance to the tunnel by Millwall Park. The new station is largely underground, and the original elevated station was demolished.
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Island Gardens
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View of Greenwich from Island Gardens
Famous quotes containing the words island and/or gardens:
“The very best place to be in all the world is St. Marys parish, Jamaica. And the best spot in St. Marys is Port Maria, though all of St. Marys is fine. Old Maker put himself to a lot of trouble to make that part of the island of Jamaica, for everything there is perfect.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (18911960)
“It is closing time in the gardens of the West and from now on an artist will be judged only by the resonance of his solitude or the quality of his despair.”
—Cyril Connolly (19031974)