The view of St Paul's Cathedral from Waterlow Park

Overview

Trees framing the views of London towards St Paul's Cathedral have been a feature of Waterlow Park since it was donated to the people of London in 1889, but you may have found it increasingly difficult to spot the familiar cathedral dome as they have grown into the view of the London skyline. With the passage of time the views of St Paul’s Cathedral are now ‘glimpsed’ through the tree canopy of the park and may disappear in the future.  This developing situation was recognised more than a decade ago by the Friends of Waterlow Park who formed a ‘Trees and Views’ Group. 

Waterlow Park was given in trust by Sir Sydney Waterlow in 1889 to the people of London as a ‘garden for the gardenless’. The Waterlow Park Trust is a registered charity with Camden Council the sole Trustee. The Trust has an Advisory Group made up of local stakeholders. Waterlow Park Trust Advisory Group  Camden Green Space manage the park. 

Trees are currently managed under the Council’s Tree Policy, which does not support the pruning or removal of trees for the obstruction of views, and is based on arboricultural best practice. Trees help to keep our air clean, cool our neighbourhoods, provide habitat for wildlife and help to tackle the climate emergency. They also contribute to the landscape character of the Park. Tree planting is reviewed by the Trees and Views Group with particular care taken to avoid new trees obscuring key views which change over time as trees grow. 

This survey intends to research public opinion as to whether the Trust should consider a proposal to reduce a specific Lime tree in the Park to enhance and preserve the skyline of London and a view towards St Paul’s Cathedral.

Why your views matter

Please read an explanation of the proposals, below:

Proposal A - a significant height reduction of one lime tree to open a new viewpoint of St Paul’s from the path near the statue of Sir Sydney Waterlow and preserve the status of Waterlow Park as a unique vantage point above London. 

Current view from statue:

Ilustration of Proposal A - after tree works from statue:

Current view from proposed view point:

Ilustration of Proposal A after tree works from proposed new view point:

Advantages:

• Opens a new viewpoint of St Paul’s from the path near the statue of Sir Sydney Waterlow.
• Preserves and enhances status of Waterlow Park as a unique vantage point above London.
• Significantly enhances views of the London skyline walking along the path.
• Responds to public feedback on the importance of views.

Disadvantages:

• Significant work to a mature tree for an aesthetic reason is not good arboricultural practice.
• Reduction in the tree’s ability to capture carbon and air pollution impact.  
• Loss of tree canopy and some wildlife habitat.
• Will need regular maintenance to control grow-back in order to retain the view

Risks:

• Some risk the lime tree may not recover from the work and die

Proposal B - Not to undertake a significant reduction to the lime tree illustrated as above.

Advantages:

• Maintains maximum tree canopy and the associated carbon capture and wildlife value.
• No immediate or long terms costs.

Disadvantages:

• St Paul’s will no longer be visible from the park in a few years’ time (without unexpected loss of mature trees and assuming continued growth).
• No re-opened skyline views from the path. leading to a sense of increasing enclosure within the Park over time.

Risks:

• Potential for visitor disappointment/lower numbers if Waterlow Park does not retain a reputation as a prime location for appreciating views of St Paul's and the London skyline.

As ever, different schemes have trade-offs, so your responses to this public engagement will be key in determining the approach to adopt.

What happens next

The results of the engagement and online survey about the view of St Paul's Cathedral will be analysed and used to inform a decision about whether works to the Lime tree should be undertaken to help maintain the view of St Paul's Cathedral. The 'trees and views' group will report back to the Trust Advisory Group who will write a report for the Counci's representative for the Waterlow Park Trust. Once a decision has been made, the outcome of the engagment work and subsequent decision will be published.