Image credit: Schlaier / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · 2008-01-09 ↗
Bloomsbury Square
Bloomsbury · Bloomsbury · Second-audit addition
Story
The square you see before you, Bloomsbury Square, stands as a foundational testament to London's urban planning, the first formally designated as a 'square'. Its origins trace back to the 1660s, following the Restoration of the monarchy, when Thomas Wriothesley, the 4th Earl of Southampton, embarked on the ambitious development of his extensive estate. His grand Jacobean mansion, Southampton House, once dominated the very spot where the square now lies. At a time when London was beginning its significant expansion beyond its medieval walls, the Earl seized the opportunity to create an elegant residential enclave for the aristocracy and wealthy gentry, establishing a model that would resonate throughout the burgeoning capital. The innovative design, often credited to architect Richard Frith, featured an open square encircled by uniform houses, with a private central garden reserved for residents, thus pioneering the distinctive London 'garden square'. Initially known as Southampton Square, it quickly became a fashionable address. Notable figures like Richard Steele, co-founder of *The Spectator*, resided here. However, as tastes shifted westward over time, Bloomsbury, though always distinguished, gradually ceded some of its aristocratic sheen. By the late 18th century, the central garden was re-landscaped by Humphry Repton, one of the era's most influential landscape designers, lending it the fundamental layout still observable today. The 19th century saw the addition of Sir Richard Westmacott’s statue of statesman Charles James Fox, which presides over the garden. While many of the original houses have since been replaced by institutional or office buildings, the square's fundamental form and character endure, revealing how this 17th-century vision laid the groundwork for the development of much of London's most elegant residential districts, with their characteristic balance of urban architecture and communal green spaces.
What to look for
Notice its contained form, with a central garden, and how it marks a transition from the traffic of Holborn into a quieter, older residential space.
Secret detail
This square is one of the earliest examples to establish the 'garden square' design that would, over time, define the architecture and urbanism of large areas of London.
Where exactly
Bloomsbury Square, north of High Holborn. This point of interest encompasses the entire square and its central garden.
Orientation
Use the square as a natural transition between busy Holborn and the heart of Bloomsbury.
Why it matters
Bloomsbury Square reveals the early urban model from which the district’s later network of squares developed, illustrating its landscape evolution.
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Accessibility
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