Bowling Green Street formerly covered the grounds of a a bowling green leased to the owners of the nearby Horns Tavern.
As well as the tavern itself, the landlord of the Horns had premises on the opposite side of Kennington Road, part of the demesne lands of the Manor.
In 1755 when Thomas Smith obtained a sub-lease of a building there, together with a garden. By 1785 part of this leasehold was being used as a bowling green. Later, about 1820, another landlord called Bryant, turned the demesne leasehold into a tea garden, but the land was soon surrendered for building.
