Postman's Park

A little distance north of St. Paul's Cathedral in the heart of London is a public garden called Postman's Park. It is one of the largest open areas in the City of London and is surrounded by Little Britain, Aldersgate Street, St. Martin's Le Grand, King Edward Street, and the location of the former General Post Office (GPO) headquarters. One of London's most moving structures, George Frederic Watts' "Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice," is just a short stroll from St. Paul's Cathedral. A little more than 50 ceramic plaques, each honoring a regular person who sacrificed their life trying to save others, are scattered across the peaceful Postman's Park, tucked beneath a tiled roof. The descriptions of several of the situations are so terrible that you could easily spend your whole lunch hour reflecting on their selflessness.

The memorial was designed in 1887 by artist George Frederic Watts with the initial goal of celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. When it was finally unveiled in 1900, there were just four plaques present. Inconsistent additions were made after Watts' wife took over the project after his early death. The ceramicist who was creating the plaques then left to finish his book. This indicated that the 53rd plaque wasn't actually added until 1931.

Postman's Park got its name from how well-liked it was by employees of the former General Post Office. The park was close by, so employees frequently spent their lunch breaks there. Perhaps you are also familiar with the park because it appears in the 2009 movie Closer, in which one of the characters takes a pseudonym from one of the plaques.

Address: King Edward St, London EC1A 7BT, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7374 4127

Created: 28 October 1880

Opening hours: 8AM - 7PM

Rating: 4.6/5.0, 1,024 Google reviews

Website: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/city-gardens/find-a-garden/postmans-park