A Guide to Crossrail Place Roof Garden

There are plenty of high-quality green spaces around London. Some of our favourites include Kew Gardens and St James’s Park, and another one is nestled among the urban jungle of Canary Wharf. It’s an unusual and hidden roof garden named Crossrail Place Roof Garden, aptly named after the complex it is housed upon because it contains Canary Wharf railway station.

If you’re looking for other rooftop gardens in London, The Garden at 120 and Sky Garden are worth visiting. Not far south is Mudchute Park and Farm, another great green space in an unexpected location. And if you’re looking for other things to do in Canary Wharf, just a stone’s throw away from the rooftop gardens is the Museum of London Docklands, which is an interesting place all about the history of the Docklands.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden

Canary Wharf is a fascinating place to visit with its towering skyscrapers and is pretty much the definition of an urban jungle. That doesn’t mean it’s an unpleasant place to visit – far from it – it’s remarkable. It’s also one of the world’s financial centres and the second in London, after the City of London.

Within the urban sprawl is this little peaceful place, which contributes to the whopping 16.5 acres of landscaped parks, gardens and squares found around Canary Wharf, including over 1000 trees and 800 species of plants and trees. Canary Wharf has done a great job weaving in plenty of green spaces, and the roof garden is the best of them all.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden in Canary Wharf is entirely free to enter, too. Just head into Crossrail Place and head up the escalators to the top, and the lush greenery will welcome you to wander around. Details on how to get there are below.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden opening times are daily until 9pm or sunset in summer, and the gardens measure approximately 200 metres in length and have restaurants on either end, should you fancy some grub.

Canary Wharf is also home to London’s largest collection of outdoor public art, so you might notice a couple of bits within the gardens: Michael Lyons Shepherd of the Sun and Julian Wild Origin (Vertical). You can find out more and locate the rest of the art around with the Canary Wharf Art Map.

Where East Meets West

Interestingly, the design of the gardens is inspired by their geographical location. Crossrail Place is roughly just one kilometre to the west of the Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich. Each half of the gardens is primarily dedicated to representing plants from the eastern and western hemispheres, respectively.

In the west, you’ll find examples of ferns, strawberry trees, and sweet gum; in the east, you’ll find varieties of bamboo, Japanese maple, and Japanese magnolia, among others.

As you walk through the gardens, take a look up, and you’ll see the towering buildings, plus a few names you might recognise, and a few of the trees pushing their way through the openings in the roof.

Feeling Peckish?

If you’re feeling a bit pecking after your meander around the gardens, you are spoilt for choice with the iconic Big Easy restaurant on the western end and Pergola on the Wharf on the eastern end. Big Easy is for the BBQ and crab fans, while Pergola serves up some favourites, like good old fish and chips, burgers, and the classic Sunday roast.

Pergola on the Wharf is also in keeping with the gardens, with real flowers, ferns and vines decorating the interior.

Useful Information & Location

📍 Crossrail Place, London, E14 5AR

💷 Free

🌍 Canarywharf.com

🕙 Open daily until 9pm or sunset in summer

FAQs

What’s the Crossrail Place Roof Garden price?

The garden is completely free to enter. There’s no fee or ticket barrier – walk on in.

What’s the nearest tube station?

Canary Wharf is a 5-minute walk away, and Poplar is a 6-minute walk away.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden opening times?

The gardens are open daily until 9pm or sunset in summer.

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