September 11th memorial garden, Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square, in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair, has been home to the American Embassy since 1938. It has maintained a very significant and increasingly fortified presence in the square through some turbulent times, both for London and for the United States.
Stars and Stripes, over London's Grosvenor Square since 1938
Given that this square is the spiritual home of Americans in the UK, it is fitting that part of the large garden that occupies Grosvenor Square has been dedicated to the victims of the September 11th attacks. Opened in 2003, the garden was desgined to remember all the victims of the attacks, but in particular lists the names of all the UK citizens who lost their lives on that terrible day.
Names of the UK citizens killed in the September 11th attacks
Of particular interest was the stone plaque found on the floor in the centre of the garden. It is designed by Richard Kindersley and includes a passage from from Henry Van Dyke’s poem ‘For Katrina’s Sun-dial’. This poem was read at the 2001 memorial service in Westminster Abbey. Beneath this stone is a small piece of the rubble taken from the Ground Zero site in New York.
Plaque in the September 11th memorial garden, Grosvenor Square
At midday on a summer day, the only occupants of this little park within a park were a couple of people sleeping on the benches. But the designers have created a very peaceful spot in the heart of the city for those who wish to remember friends or family affected by the events of September 11th in 2001.
September 11th memorial garden, Grosvenor Square
