Fairchild’s Garden, Hackney

A thoughtful transformation rooted in heritage and horticulture. Hardscape Surfaces is proud to have contributed to the renewal of Fairchild’s Garden – a historic public space along Hackney Road, designed to honour its past while embracing the vibrant spirit of Shoreditch today. Formerly a burial ground, the site is the resting place of Thomas Fairchild, 18th-century horticulturist and author of The City Gardener. His legacy inspired the garden’s redesign, led by Ares Landscape Architects on behalf of Hackney Council.

Our Journey

The design includes widened entrances, flexible open areas, and paths that echo the local landscape and community, with nods to the nearby Columbia Road Flower Market. This project exemplifies how sensitive public realm design can honour the past while serving the present — with durable materials, meaningful detailing, and community purpose at its core. Hardscape supplied high-quality paving stone and steps throughout the space, while Hardscape Surfaces crafted a series of bespoke memorial stones celebrating Fairchild’s life and work. These feature intricately sandblasted, etched imagery and waterjet-cut brass text, using Kilkenny Irish Blue Limestone and European Granite, blending craftsmanship with contemporary interpretation.