Things to see at the Breaker's Yard

A tropical backdrop

Eighteenth-century Hackney was known for its hothouses, including the largest in the world at the time. These indoor tropical rainforests housed a huge variety of tropical plants, and much of the planting in the garden here in the Breaker’s Yard is inspired by fashionable plants of that time, including palms and bamboo.

Hidden historic gems

The clue to the garden’s history is in its name: it was once a car-breaker’s yard. Originally belonging to a neighbouring property, the space was offered to Sutton House on the condition it would become a garden. If the yard had remained private, many views of the house and its beautiful Tudor brickwork and architectural features would have stayed hidden.

Creating the garden

In 2011, the vision to transform the scrapyard into a community garden began. Thousands of local people and specialists were consulted for their ideas, skills and local knowledge. The final design was by award-winning Royal Horticultural Society landscape designer Daniel Lobb, taking three years to complete. In 2022, a collaborative project including organisations Queer Botany and Rainbow Grow worked with artist Daniel Baker on a garden project, to add planting around 'The Grange' caravan, called the Platinum Garden.