The Artillery Garden at The HAC

Five acres of pristine lawns hidden behind the walls of the City of London — the Artillery Garden is the largest privately owned green space in the Square Mile, and the disconnect between its EC1 postcode and the experience of standing on it never quite stops being surprising. Professional-grade sports pitches, a Grade II listed Georgian mansion as backdrop, and capacity for over 5,000 guests at the largest events make this a space that operates at a completely different scale from anything else available in central London.

The Artillery Garden’s Character

The garden has served the Honourable Artillery Company since Henry VIII granted its royal charter in 1537. Cricket has been played here since at least the eighteenth century — one of the earliest recorded matches in England — and the first balloon ascent in the country launched from these grounds in 1784. Today, the lawn hosts professional sporting fixtures (Premier League and Championship football clubs, Saracens and the All Blacks in rugby), the annual London Concours car event, and events ranging from corporate fun days to full-scale festivals. The garden won ‘Best Venue with Outside Space — East’ at the London Venue & Catering Awards 2025. Armoury House, the HAC’s original Georgian manor, provides an architectural backdrop that no temporary structure or commercial outdoor venue can replicate.

Artillery Garden — Capacity and Structures

Open-air events can accommodate 5,000+ standing guests. For more structured occasions, temporary marquees and event structures go up on the lawn with capacity for 2,000 standing or 950 seated dinner — genuine festival and gala scale. Tiered pricing brackets reflect the range: up to 500 guests, 500+, and 1,000+. The only cricket pitch available for hire in the Square Mile operates during the summer season, while football and rugby pitches run from October to March.

Events on the Artillery Garden

Large-scale summer parties are the signature use — the combination of five acres, central London location, and a hidden-garden reveal creates an impact that purpose-built outdoor venues struggle to match. Guests arriving from the City’s towers walk through the HAC’s castle-like frontage on City Road and find themselves in what feels like private countryside. Corporate team building and fun days use the sports pitches and open space. Marquee weddings operate at a scale that hotel ballrooms can’t approach. Product launches and brand activations exploit the unexpectedness — a green field in the financial district is inherently photogenic and shareable. The alcohol licence runs until midnight, with extensions available.

Catering and Operations on the Garden

Searcys handles catering across the garden through their partnership with the HAC, providing everything from BBQs and street food for informal summer events to three-course formal dining inside marquee structures. Outdoor drinks receptions must end by 9pm or sunset, whichever comes earlier — a noise protocol that’s worth building into event timelines from the start. The Parade Square provides vehicle parking and staging, and structures erected on the garden can be configured to connect with the Prince Consort Rooms entrance for seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

Combining the Artillery Garden with Indoor Spaces

The garden works in isolation for large outdoor events, but many of the HAC’s most distinctive occasions combine it with the Prince Consort Rooms — corporate hospitality alongside a cricket match, a summer party that starts outdoors and moves inside for dinner, or a conference in the Prince Consort Rooms with team activities on the lawn. The full HAC estate — Armoury House, Prince Consort Rooms, and Artillery Garden — can be hired as a single package for the largest events. Moorgate and Old Street stations are both three to four minutes’ walk away.