Lower Marsh was first given an identity in 1377 and has acted as a main shopping and market street in London for well over 150 years. A cultural and community heartbeat of central London, the street is home to many unique and celebrated independent shops, pubs, bars and restaurants and hosts a thriving street food market during the working week - a perfect spot for the addition of greenery and local gardening workshops.

Edible Marsh

Produced by Lower Marsh Market in partnership with Meanwhile Club, Edible Marsh is a lunchtime gardening club that invites Waterloo residents and office workers out to Lower Marsh to twice monthly from 12-2pm on Lower Marsh at Leake Street Pocket Park to enjoy a free lunchtime gardening sessions. The planters that belong to Edible Marsh include seasonal edible items and attendees are encouraged to take clippings of the goods home.

Edible Marsh’s aim is to enhance the Lower Marsh greenery while inviting Lower Marsh customers, visitors and locals out to enjoy their lunch break with a green thumb, while learning how to sow seeds and grow edible plants - such as chillies, herbs, tomatoes, rocket & more. Learn more about Edible Marsh here.  

Leake Street Pocket Park

In 2015, WeAreWaterloo (then Waterloo Quarter) transformed what was a dilapidated car park into an oasis of greenery. It provides the perfect space to stop and relax before shopping on Lower Marsh or heading into Leake Street - now the largest legal graffiti tunnel in the UK.

In 2008, Banksy invited artists from all over the world to attend his “Cans Festival”. Amongst them were Vexta, C215, Ben Eine, and Blek Le Rat. Banksy also invited lesser known artists as well as the general public, to come down and get involved, encouraging them to head to the Lower Marsh end of the tunnel (dubbed ‘Stencil Alley’) and use stencils to add to the tunnel’s makeover. 

Turning up in their droves, they beautified the tunnel with both graffiti and installations on a grand scale, such as a tree weighed down by CCTV cameras, smashed up cars and living room set-ups. The event was a media sensation, and launched Leake Street into the art world as a destination for street art.

Our humble pocket park sits adjacent to and above Stencil Alley. WeAreWaterloo have installed additional lighting in the park itself and on Stencil Alley, Sino Thai will soon be serving food and drinks in the pocket park and a beautiful mural is planned on the side of the aforementioned building. Watch this space…