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Squares in London

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St. James's Square, c. 1722
Fitzroy Square

Squares have long been a feature of London and come in numerous identifiable forms. The landscaping spectrum of squares stretches from those with more hardscape, constituting town squares (also known as city squares)—to those with communal gardens, for which London is a major international exponent, known as garden squares.

A few in the capital of the United Kingdom, such as Trafalgar Square, began as public open spaces in the same way as other city squares worldwide, typically a plaza, piazza and a platz in Spain, Italy and Germany. Most, however, began as garden squares i.e. private communal gardens for the inhabitants of surrounding houses. All types of the space are more prevalent in parts of London with high (urban) density. Some of these gardens are now open to the public, while others, for example around Notting Hill, are railed (a form of fencing) and private.

The terminology has been loosely applied for over a century. Some "squares" are irregularly shaped—including five triangles, a pentagon, hexagon, octagon, and two ovals among those officially named Square. Approbative and technical studies of garden squares commonly cover equivalent landscaped communal gardens not named as a Square many of which have become small public parks. A diversity of descriptive names features in the list of London's "garden squares".

Name and shape

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"Square" is a generic term for neat, planned or set aside urban open spaces larger than a verge or pavement overlooked by buildings. In London, elements of fields were set aside, a fact reflected in the name of the square London Fields and two later examples: Coram's Fields and Lincoln's Inn Fields. Some are not actually square, or even rectangular. One reason for this is the use of a local nickname for the street, park or garden in question. Another is that some older squares were irregularly shaped to begin with, or lost their original layout due to the city's many transformations, not least following the Great Fire of London and The Blitz.

The street naming (or streetnaming) authority of each London Borough and the City of London Corporation, by authority of an act of Parliament, the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. xcvii), imposes rules to authorise appropriate street names for new developments and for owners wishing to rename features.[1] Commercial building and retained historic names apart, new residential squares must in many boroughs be "for a square only" — considered not well elongated but rectangular and to some extent open.[2] Billiter Square, EC3 and Millennium Square, SE1 in districts dominated by retail, commerce and offices are among many modern buildings (not beside a visible rectangular open space) that include alternative, higher built density, square features to their design—such as a courtyard or a square footprint.

Some squares such as Granary Square are paved; others like Russell Square have grass and trees; many others have diverse communal gardens. Most of those that are actually square have the word in their name, and these are listed below. Others more flexibly identified do not. Such notable lists are commonly identified as list of garden squares or estate gardens, communal gardens, formal gardens, about which many books have been written. Increasingly, spaces are being constructed that are legally private, though in practice open to the public (Paternoster Square).

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea contains over a hundred garden squares whose use is restricted to residents, almost all share a name with their directly adjoining road. Residents may contract with private contractors or with the council, in which case the council charges those residents, typically at the same time as council tax.[3] One instance is a lens (pointed oval), The Boltons.

Toward the public end of the public/private continuum, London's growth has taken in village greens. A minority of these partly or wholly survive such as Newington Green to form council-run open spaces breaking up housing, road networks and/or retail streets. The categories of greens and garden squares become more well-visited where larger than an informal scale. These are mainly government-run, characteristic parks and open spaces in London. By subtle distinction their less urban equivalent amounts to London's 26 commons most of which were diminished in the period of legal inclosure and/or the city/county's 16 country parks.

History

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Development of squares

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The making of residential squares fell into decline in the early 20th century, one of the last notable such squares having been designed by Edwin Lutyens for Hampstead Garden Suburb. Numerous squares were in danger of filling in for further building. This was banned by the London Squares Preservation Act 1931 (21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. xciii).[4] In the last quarter of the 20th century a fashion for making office squares developed, a trend led by the Broadgate development. Developers such as London Square, Berkeley Homes and Taylor Wimpey (in the first two instances through their London subsidiaries) have built and set aside land in more than one of their 21st century London developments to create those of the residential type.[5][6][7][8][9][10] More broadly, mixed-use squares to give a focal area have become a resurgent planning design, reflected for instance in Times Square, Sutton and Canada Square, Canary Wharf.

Viewings and events in private communal gardens

[edit]
See also: List of garden squares in London

Since 1998 many private squares (which term in that context takes in many other shapes of gardens between houses) temporarily open to the paying public: London's "Open Garden Squares Weekend", founded by Caroline Aldiss, takes place on the second weekend in June.[11] The event is organised by the London Parks and Garden Trust. In 2013 over 200 gardens took part, including the garden of the prime minister at 10 Downing Street and the Gardens of HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs. Other events in keynote squares coincide such as a World Archaeology Festival, Gordon Square, Bloomsbury run by UCL Institute of Archaeology.[12]

The parks can be categorised as public garden squares, private garden squares or other squares.

Social importance

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An illuminated wire sculpture of a nightingale, displayed in London's Berkeley Square as part of Lumiere London 2018, an art festival. The sculpture and the accompanying soundtrack A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square formed an art installation titled 'Was that a dream?' by a French artist Cédric Le Borgne.[13]

The local proliferation relative to other UK cities coupled with, since the early 20th century, their widespread opening up has similarly made squares broadly cited in portrayals of London. Initially cultural use was mainly confined to novels and, to a lesser degree, fine art.

"It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is a 1910s song featuring the line "Farewell Leicester Square". "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a romantic hit of 1940 with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin, sang that year separately by Ray Noble and Vera Lynn and a theme of a film the next year, by Fritz Lang., Man Hunt. In the 1956 song "Why Can't The English?" from the musical My Fair Lady, Professor Henry Higgins laments, "Hear them down in Soho Square/Dropping H's everywhere."

Drama most notably includes the high-audience soap opera broadcast by the BBC running since 1985, EastEnders based on a semi-permanent set north of London's border, Albert Square. It had pre-release titles Square Dance, Round the Square, Round the Houses, London Pride and East 8.[14]

Soho Square garden contains a bench that commemorates the singer Kirsty MacColl, who wrote the song "Soho Square" for her album Titanic Days. After her death in 2000, fans bought a memorial bench in her honour, inscribing the lyrics: "One day I'll be waiting there / No empty bench in Soho Square".[15] The Lindisfarne album Elvis Lives On the Moon also includes a song named after that square.[16]

Notable communal gardens surrounded by buildings

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Main article: List of garden squares in London

Most notable town squares

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List of Greater London squares

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This list comprises places bearing the word Square. The tables state if each has an open-air space exceeding a double-size pavement or the provision of parking spaces. Those marked mainly (due to a building, typically a church, school or community hall in the space) or yes have a clear, open space. Those marked No include streets of any shape including those with vestigial names (throwbacks) to open spaces that lay there (or adjacent) before.

Demolished squares are listed in a table at the end of this section.

Approximate area, in square metres, includes hardscapes and roads.

London's squares are arranged by postcode, see the map below of postcodes.

London post town postcodes

Centremost postcodes

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Name Post district Open-to-sky area between buildings Image m2
King EC1 Mainly 16000
Charterhouse EC1 Yes [n 1][17] 9300
Northampton EC1 Yes 6600
Brewery EC1 Yes 900
Waterhouse EC1 Yes [n 2] 1500
Coldbath
(historically Cold Bath)		 EC1 Yes 320
St John's EC1 Yes 4500[n 3]
Myddelton EC1 Yes 14000
Rosebery EC1 No [n 4] 600
Bartholomew EC1 No [n 5] 0
Finsbury EC2 Mainly 17000
Devonshire EC2 Yes 3200[n 6]
Reliance EC2 No 0
Mark EC2 Yes [n 7] 2400
Finsbury Avenue EC2 Mainly 2600
Aldermanbury EC2 Yes 1650
Exchange EC2 Yes 5900
Monkwell EC2 Yes 2280
Bridgewater EC2 No A small pre-school playground 500
New Inn EC2 No 0
Trinity EC3 Yes 8200
St Helen's EC3 Yes 2700[n 8]
America EC3 Yes 1000
Paternoster EC4 Yes 3200
Salisbury EC4 Yes 1280
New Street EC4 Yes 1350
Warwick EC4 Yes 1150[n 9]
Gough EC4 Yes 480
Ludgate EC4 No 0
Queen WC1 Yes 8660
Red Lion WC1 Mainly 7200
Gray's Inn WC1 Yes 4430
South WC1 Yes 2600
Bloomsbury WC1 Yes 12000
Regent WC1 Yes 7500
Mecklenburgh WC1 Mainly [n 10] 18000
Granville WC1 Yes 5000
Wilmington WC1 Yes 7200
Lloyd WC1 Yes 4900
Fleet WC1 Yes [n 11][n 12] 1850
Wells WC1 Mainly [n 12] 1400
Argyle WC1 Yes 7800
Brunswick WC1 Yes [n 13] 18000
Torrington WC1 Mainly 8800
Tavistock WC1 Yes 18000
Gordon WC1 Yes 16000[n 14]
Woburn WC1 Yes 6200
Russell WC1 Yes 40000
Bedford WC1 Yes 17000
New WC2 Yes [n 15] 7000

Inner

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North and northwest

[edit]
Name Post district Open-to-sky area between buildings Image m2
Canonbury N1 Yes 8500
Union N1 Yes 5700
Arlington N1 Yes 9200
Claremont N1 Yes 12000
King's Cross Square N1 Yes 6900
Hoxton N1 Yes 6000
Lewis Cubitt Square N1 Yes 5200
Charles N1 Yes 2700
Highbury N5 Yes 9900
Cloudesley N1 Mainly 4800
John Spencer N1 Yes 5200[n 16]
De Beauvoir N1 Yes 12000
Old Royal Free N1 Yes 2800
Lonsdale N1 Yes 5250
Gibson N1 Yes 8200
Milner N1 Yes 4900
Barnsbury N1 Yes 7750
Edward N1 Yes 5900
Alwyne N1 Yes 3600
Wellington N1 Yes 3750
Anderson N1 Yes 1400
Peabody N1 Yes 1350
Packington N1 Yes 2500
Canalside N1 Yes 3800
Red House N1 Yes 3000
Wilton N1 Yes 4200[n 17]
Thornhill N1 Mainly [n 18] 20000
Pond N6 Mainly 6400
Park NW1 Yes 28000
Euston NW1 Yes 7000
Munster NW1 Yes 4400
Dorset NW1 Yes 8500
Blandford NW1 Yes 1500 each[n 19]
Chalcot NW1 Yes 3600
Tolmers NW1 Yes 2000[n 20]
Oakley NW1 Yes 13000[n 21]
Harrington NW1 Yes 8000[n 22]
Ampthill NW1 Yes 5000[n 23]
Elliott NW1 No 0
St Mark's NW1 Mainly 3000
Alma NW8 Yes 2800
Camden NW1 Yes 16000
Northpoint and
Caledonian		 NW1 No 0[n 24]
Triton NW1 No 0
Rochester NW1 No 0
Islington N1 No 0
1 Hamond N1 No 0[n 25]
Hoffman N1 No 0
Uhura N16 No 0

West and southwest

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Name Post district Open-to-sky area between buildings Image m2
Eaton SW1 Yes 51000
Vincent SW1 Yes 47000
Belgrave SW1 Yes 36000
Grosvenor W1 Yes 30000
St George's SW1 Mainly 22000
Berkeley W1 Yes 20000
Portman W1 Yes 20000
Eccleston SW1 Yes 18000
Onslow SW7 Yes 17000[n 16]
Warwick SW1 Yes 15000
Cavendish W1 Yes 14500
Parliament SW1 Yes 14000
Bryanston W1 Yes 14000
Redcliffe SW10 Mainly 13500
Dolphin SW1 Mainly 12000[n 26]
Thurloe SW7 Yes 12000
Montagu W1 Yes 11000
Lowndes SW1 Yes 11000
Cleveland W2 Yes 10000
Kensington Gardens W8 Mainly 10000[n 16]
Kensington W8 Yes 8400
Smith SW1 Mainly 5900[n 27]
Fitzroy W1 Yes 8700
Nevern SW5 Yes 8700
Manchester W1 Yes 8000
Hereford SW7 Yes 7400
Chelsea SW3 Yes 10000
Carlyle SW3 Yes 8200
Tedworth SW3 Yes 4800
Cadogan SW1 Yes 13000
Edwardes W8 Yes 16000
Norland W11 Yes 12000
Pembridge W2 Yes 10000
Sloane SW1 Yes 6000
Duke of York SW3 Mainly 5000[n 28]
Paultons SW3 Yes 6500
Earl's Court SW5 Yes 6400
Ebury SW1 Yes 6000
Brompton SW3 Yes 6200[n 29]
Markham SW3 Yes 4500
Montpelier SW7 Yes 4300
Alexander SW3 Yes 4200[n 30]
Ovington SW3 Yes 2600
Trevor SW7 Yes 2800
Lindsay SW1 Mainly 2000
Victoria SW1 Yes 1250
Pearson W1 Mainly 1600
Wellington SW3 Yes 1500
Admiral SW10 Yes 1080
Coleridge SW10 Yes 1040[n 12]
St Mary's W2 Yes 1250
Gloucester W2 Yes 8200
Hyde Park W2 Yes 8000
Sussex W2 Yes 7750
Connaught W2 Yes 6800
Norfolk W2 Yes 6400
Sheldon W2 Mainly 6000
Cambridge W2 Yes 4200
Oxford W2 Yes 4200
Talbot W2 Yes 3000
Lancer W8 Yes 3550
Rose SW3 Yes 1200[n 31]
Chantry W8 Yes 1200[n 32]
St Andrews W11 Yes 1000
Wesley W11 Yes 2200
Colville W11 Mainly 3300
Porchester W2 Yes 5780
Powis W11 Yes 4400
Orme W11 Yes 1980
Prince's W2 Yes 7200
Leinster W2 Yes 7200
Katherine W11 Yes 950
Campden Hill W8 Yes 8500
Wycombe W8 Yes 2000
Ravenscourt W6 Yes 3200
St Peter's Square W6 Yes 13000
Ashcroft W6 Yes 4800[n 33]
Westcroft W6 Yes 3200
Lyric W6 Yes 2000
Audley, South Audley Street W1 Yes 500
Chesterton W8 Yes 2050[n 34]
Grafton SW4 Yes 7500
Battersea SW11 Yes 1150
Rathbone W1 Yes 800[n 35]
Shuters (Sun Road) W14 Yes 800
Vine W14 Yes 800
Orchard W14 Yes 600
Ivory SW11 Yes 500
Nottingdale W11 Yes [n 24] 450
Macaulay SW4 Yes 1500[n 35]
Imperial SW6 Yes 2700
Hurlingham SW6 Yes 2620
Marryat SW6 Yes 950
Queen's Elm SW3 Yes 900
Lampeter W6 No [n 36] 400
Restoration SW11 No 510[n 35]
White's SW4 No 0
Philpot SW6 No 0
Mortimer W11 No 0
St Charles W10 No 0
Franklin W14 No [n 11] 0
Fountain SW1 No 0
Brassey SW11 No 0
Cavalry SW3 No 0

South

[edit]
Name Postal district Open to air communal space Image m2
Surrey SE1 Yes 18000
Dickens SE1 Mainly 12000
Avondale SE1 Mainly 10000
Trinity Church SE1 Mainly 7700[n 37]
Lorrimore SE17 Mainly 7400
Nightingale SW12 Yes 7000
Sutherland SE17 Not mainly 7000
Albert SW8 Yes 6500
West SE11 Yes 6400
Thorburn SE1 Mainly 6000
Nelson SE1 Yes 6000
Peckham SE15 Mainly 5000
Cleaver SE11 Yes 4800
Peabody SE1 Yes 4500[n 16]
Addington SE5 Yes 4200
St. Philip Battersea, SW8 Not mainly 4000[n 38]
Providence SE1 Yes 4000
Merrick SE1 Yes 3600
Montague SE15 Yes 3200
Walcot SE11 Yes 2700[n 39]
St Mary's SE11 Yes 2700[n 39]
Perkins SE1 Yes 2600
Bermondsey SE16 Yes 2500
Gatehouse SE1 Yes 2100
Helsinki SE16 Yes 2000
Millennium, Shad Thames SE1 Yes 1700
Greenacre SE16 Yes 1600[n 11]
Reveley SE16 Yes 420[n 11]
Brewery SE1 Yes 660
Edward SE16 Yes 900
Elizabeth SE16 Yes 640
Frederick SE16 Yes 640
Helena SE16 Yes 640
Sophia SE16 Yes 640
William SE16 Yes 640
New Place SE16 Yes
3800
Lockwood SE16 Yes
4800
Marden SE16 Yes
5100
Layard SE16 Yes
6000[n 16]
St Olavs or St Olav's SE16 Yes 2000[18][19][n 16]
Great Guildford Business SE1 Not mainly 200
Oslo SE16 Yes 2300
Bergen SE16 Yes 1950
Tillett SE16 Yes 200
Graphite, Vauxhall Walk SE11 Yes 500
Cornwall, Kennings Way SW11 Yes 2800[n 40]
John Parker SW11 Yes 1000[n 11]
Fenner SW11 Yes 1000[n 11]
Holliday SW11 Yes 1000[n 11]
Weekley SW11 Yes 1000[n 11]
Winchester SE1 Mainly 730
Cobalt Vauxhall, SW8 Yes 1500
St Georges or Saint George's SE8 Yes 3000[n 41]
Granville SE15 Yes 800
Yarnfield SE15 Yes 2200
Vivian SE15 Yes 1000
Galatea SE15 Yes 2500[n 16]
Huguenot SE15 Yes 1400
Bonnington SW8 Yes 900
Hamilton SE1 Yes 550
Fountain Green SE16 Yes 970[n 11]
Rust SE5 No 0
Shard's SE15 No 0[n 42]
Choumert SE15 No 0
Flat Iron SE1 No 0[20]
Gagarin, Southwark Street SE1 No 0[n 39]
Queen Annes SE1 No 0
Westminster Business SE11 No 0[n 43]

East

[edit]
Name Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Clapton E5 Yes 12000
Canada E14 Yes 12000
Ion E2 Yes 9000
Carlton E1 Yes 9000
Tredegar (/trɪˈdiːɡər/, Welsh: [trɛˈdeːɡar]) E3 Yes 8900
Beaumont E1 Yes 8500
Cabot E14 Yes 8200
Royal Victoria E16 Yes 5500
St David's E14 Yes [21] 5500
Harpley E1 Yes 5000
Bishops, Old Spitalfields Market E1 Yes 5500
Thomas More E1 Mainly 4500
Ford E1 Yes 4000
Sidney E1 Yes 3950
Avis E1 Yes 3000
Petticoat E1 Mainly 3800
Rectory E1 Yes 2800
The Mother's E5 Yes 2500[n 11][n 18]
Wellclose E1 Not mainly 800
Hooper E1 Yes 1600
Hornbeam E3 Yes 1070
Jasmine E3 Yes 1070
Grayling E2 Yes 900
Times E1 Yes 900[n 44]
Lea E3 Yes 800
Bartholomew, Cudworth Street E1 Yes 700
Arbour Stepney, E1 Yes 6300
Brayford E1 Yes 1100[n 45]
O’Leary E1 Yes 1700
Douthwaite E1 Yes 840[n 11]
Cork E1 Yes 500[n 11]
The Watergarden, Roy E14 Yes 1100[n 46]
York E14 Yes 2800
Cutlers E14 Yes 895[n 11]
Vulcan E14 Yes 900[n 11]
Torres E14 Yes 300[n 11]
Bering E14 Yes 300[n 11]
Shalbourne E9 Yes 1200[n 11]
Silk Mills E9 Yes 1200[n 11]
Leabank E9 Yes 2500
Alphabet E3 Yes 2000[n 11]
Gerry Raffles and Theatre E15 Yes 2500
Heylyn E3 Yes 2300
Sheffield E3 Yes 1700
Guerin E3 Yes 1600
Trellis E3 Yes 1500
Stonechat E6 Yes 1200[n 11]
Partridge E6 Yes 1200[n 11]
Lampern E2 Yes 1300
Old Market E2 Yes 1000
Ambassador E14 Yes 1100[n 47]
St George's or Saint George's Square E14 Yes 700
Aqua Vista E3 Yes 900
Lanark E14 Yes 1800
Burrells Wharf E14 Yes 2500
Capstan E14 Yes 2000
Botanic E14 Yes [n 48] 6000
Hopewell E14 Yes 2400
Carter E14 Yes 1000
St Thomas's E9 Yes 6000
St Peter's E2 Yes 2000
Pollard E2 Yes 6400
Market, Chrisp Street E14 Yes 3000
Fassett E9 Yes 2200
Shaw E17 Yes 1275
Sutton (or Urswick Road) E9 Yes 2400[n 11]
The Square, High Road/York Road E10 Yes 2000
Patriot E2 No 0
Spital E1 No 0[n 49]
Cumberland Mills E14 No 0[n 43]
Murray E16 No 0
St George's E7 No 0
Regent E3 No 0
Old School E14 No 0
Athol E14 No 0
Torrens E15 No 0
Olympus E5 No 0
Transom E14 No 0
Forge E14 No 0
Warrior E12 No 0
St Luke's E16 No 0
Goldsmith's E2 No 0
Education E1 No 0
Portland E1 No 1180[n 43]
Martineau E1 No 0[n 50]
Chant E15 No 0
Barnby E15 No 0
Primrose E9 No 0
Principal, Chelmer Road E9 No 0
Albert E15 No 0
Maryland E15 No 0
Tollgate E6 No 0[n 50]
Goose E6 No 0[n 50]
Butterfield E6 No 0[n 50]

Renamed squares note:

  • Albert Gardens
  • Trafalgar Gardens

These two 19th century built Squares are officially renamed as shown. This avoids confusion with other squares in London.

Outer

[edit]

East

[edit]
Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Eastbury Barking IG11 Mainly 9000
Brandesbury Woodford Green IG8 Yes 3000
Rosebury Woodford Green IG8 Yes 3000
Brackley Woodford Green IG6 Yes 1500[n 51]
Warrington Dagenham RM8 Yes 2700
The Square Ilford IG1 Yes 1850
Noel Dagenham RM8 Yes 1400[n 52]
Causton Dagenham RM9 Yes 2300
Arnett London E4 Yes 2700
Manor Dagenham RM8 No 0
Osborne Dagenham RM9 No 0
Hunters Dagenham RM9 No 0
The Square Woodford Green IG8 No 0

West

[edit]

(the London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Hounslow and Ealing, exc. Harefield, Isleworth and Feltham)

Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
The Square Hayes, Uxbridge UB11 Yes 11000
Sutton Heston, Hounslow TW5 Yes 7100
Townfield Hayes UB3 Yes 6500
Emerald Southall UB2 Yes 4700
Halliday Southall UB2 Yes 1800[n 11]
Cubitt Southall UB2 Yes 1400[n 11]
Coleridge London W13 Yes 1200[n 11]
Victoria London W5 Yes 820
St Mary's or Old Ealing London W5 Yes 800
Chiswick London W4 No 0
Essex Place (Market)[n 53] London W4 Yes 860
Dolphin London W4 No 0[n 50]
Epsom Hounslow TW6 No 0
Cardington Hounslow TW4 No 0
Drenon Hayes UB3 No 0
Tudor Hayes UB3 No 0
Mission Brentford TW8 No 0
Ferry Brentford TW8 No 0

South West

[edit]

Royal/London Boroughs of Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth, excluding Battersea, Norwood, Clapham and Balham.

Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
New Bedfont, Feltham TW14 Yes
20000[n 11]
St. Andrew's Surbiton KT6 Yes 8900
Toland London SW15 Yes 6000[n 46][n 16]
Aubyn London SW15 Yes 3200[n 46]
Chapman London SW19 Yes 3000
Barringer London SW17 Yes 1900
Heathfield London SW18 Mainly not 13000
Red Lion London SW18 No 0
Hardwicks London SW18 No 0
St Edmunds (or Saint Edmunds) London SW13 Yes 1800
Emerald London SW15 Yes 1900
Radcliffe London SW15 Yes 1600
Gillis London SW15 Yes 1300
Vanneck London SW15 Yes 1250
Bevin London SW17 Yes 1200
Chartfield London SW15 Yes 900
New Chapel Feltham TW13 Yes 1400[n 35]
Topiary Richmond TW9 Yes 1400
Heron Richmond TW9 Yes 860[n 46]
Charlotte (Pyland Road) Richmond TW10 Yes 1300[n 46]
Memorial Kingston upon Thames KT1 Yes 1600
Sigrist Kingston upon Thames KT1 Yes 600
Noel Teddington TW11 Yes 500[n 46]
Lower Isleworth TW7 Yes 730
Upper Isleworth TW7 Yes 210[n 39]
Cheriton London SW17 No 0
Memorial Isleworth TW7 No 0
Belvedere London SW19 No 0
George London SW19 No 0
Magna London SW14 No 0[n 43]
Pavilion London SW17 No 0[n 43]
The Square Richmond TW9 No 0
King George Richmond TW10 No 0
Fleetwood Kingston upon Thames KT1 No 0[n 43]
Charter Kingston upon Thames KT1 No 0
Ernest Kingston upon Thames KT1 No 0
Rosebery Kingston upon Thames KT1 No 0
Waters Kingston upon Thames KT1 No 0
Ashcombe New Malden KT3 No 0[n 43]
Idmiston New Malden KT3 No 0
St George's New Malden KT3 No 0
St Leonards Surbiton KT6 No 0

South East

[edit]

Royal/London Boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Bexley and Bromley (plus Norwood and Dulwich)

Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Ryculff London SE3 Mainly 5000
Artillery London SE18 Yes 3800
Watermens London SE20 Yes 3800
James Clavell London SE18 Yes 3000
Pavilion London SE18 Yes 1300[n 46]
School London SE10 Yes 1500[n 46]
Palace London SE19 Yes 2000
Talisman London SE26 Yes 2000
Chiswell London SE3 Yes 2100
Gibbs London SE19 Yes 2000
Market Bromley BR1 Yes 1700
Robert London SE13 Yes 2000
Les Smith or Leslie Smith London SE18 Yes 880[n 43]
Kingston London SE19 Not mainly 900
Tristan London SE3 Yes 800[n 16]
Old Clem London SE18 Mainly 850
St Paul's Bromley BR2 Not mainly 580
Roman London SE28 Yes 480
Corvette London SE10 Yes 380[n 46]
Collins London SE3 Not mainly 350
Oregon Orpington BR6 No 0
Peppermead London SE13 No 0[n 24]
Archer London SE14 No 0
Beresford London SE18 No 0
Reginald London SE8 No 0
Ealdham London SE9 No 0
Adams Bexleyheath DA6 No 0
Brook London SE18 No 0
Mortgramit London SE18 No 0
Gainsborough Bexleyheath DA6 No 0
Regent Belvedere DA17 No 0

North

[edit]
Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Arundel London N7 Yes 12000
Cornwallis London N19 Mainly 9500
Topham London N17 Yes 1600
Broadfield Enfield EN1 Yes 1500
Westbrook Cockfosters, Barnet EN4 Yes 1500
Sambroke Barnet EN4 Yes 800[n 11]
Albion London E8 Yes 5800
Evergreen London E8 Yes 4600
Chow London E8 Yes 600
Time London E8 Yes 300
Schonfeld London N16 Not mainly 2000[n 11][n 16]
Christina London N4 No 0[n 11]
Brunswick London N17 No 0[n 43]
Chaplin London N12 No 0
Hamilton (Sandringham Gardens) London N12 No 0
Red (Piano Lane) London N16 No 0

South

[edit]
Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Exchange Croydon CR0 Mainly 4000
Stanley Carshalton SM5 Yes 3950
Alexandra Morden SM4 Yes 2500
Glebe Mitcham CR4 Yes 1350[n 46]
Kennet Mitcham CR4 Yes 1100[n 11]
Cameron Mitcham CR4 Yes 900[n 11]
Tyrrell Mitcham CR4 Yes 650[n 11]
Appleton Mitcham CR4 Yes 350[n 11]
Torrington Croydon CR0 Yes 700
Rathbone (Tanfield Road) Croydon CR0 Yes 200[n 35]
Times Sutton SM1 No 0
Wallington Wallington SM6 No 0
Queen's Croydon CR0 No 0

North West

[edit]
Name Post town Post district Open to air communal space Image m2
Chelmsford London NW4 Yes 6300
South London NW11 Mainly 7600
Central London NW11 Yes 10000
North London NW11 Mainly 7600
Litchfield London NW11 Yes 1500
Lucas London NW11 Yes 1500
Linden Harefield, Uxbridge UB11 Yes 1500[n 11]
Seaton London NW7 Yes 1080
Sentinel London NW4 Yes 450
Hampden London N14 Yes 5000
Wembley Central Wembley HA9 Yes 6400
Belsize London NW3 Not mainly 10000
St Leonard's London NW5 No 0
Elliott London NW3 No 0
New End London NW3 No 0
The Mount London NW3 No 0
Ashbourne Northwood HA6 No 0

Demolished

[edit]
  • Angel Square, EC1
  • Billiter Square, EC3
  • Holford Square[a]
  • Harewood Square[b]
  • Pancras Square[c]
  1. ^ became Bevin Court, north of Percy Circus, Pentonville
  2. ^ became forecourt zone between overground and underground Marylebone stations
  3. ^ A very small square.

See also

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Notes and references

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Notes
  1. ^ A pentagon. One actual square is directly north and commonly confused by map makers, the Green. Nine smaller courtyards exist, e.g., Preacher's Court, Pensioners Court, Masters Court: mostly green.
  2. ^ Within subdivision of a building (into three), a courtyard, linked by public ways to all but north side. Takes up site of Furnival's Inn.
  3. ^ historic hardscapes north and south of Clerkenwell Road
  4. ^ a C-shaped building with a raised terrace occupying the void
  5. ^ Bartholomew Court of the Redbrick Estate could be said to comprise it yet its north side remains: three buildings, today numbered №s 20-28.
  6. ^ including avenue/plaza East approach in the m2 shown.
  7. ^ Taken as Mark Street Gardens, fronting south-west of this short street
  8. ^ North-west mini-extension omitted
  9. ^ A tree on a verge then a side yard with a surface car park in the City of London
  10. ^ Forms the east of Coram’s Fields
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah Car park with a much smaller zone of trees, lawn or shrubs
  12. ^ a b c Smaller than the large communal courtyard(s) in the same estate
  13. ^ Forms the west of Coram’s Fields
  14. ^ Excludes SE greens with table zone used by UCL
  15. ^ Part of Lincoln's Inn. One side is open (to Lincoln's Inn Fields)
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Set around two greens
  17. ^ The outer sides form four lines, one very short; the inner sides i.e. the communal gardens are a rounded triangle
  18. ^ a b An oval.
  19. ^ Green, landscaped zones south of four parallel housing blocks; replaced original square and four small streets
  20. ^ An irregular octagon, with housing facing on seven sides, opened by road eighth side and mini-roundabout; extra courtyards and gated.
  21. ^ As from Victorian layout, an elongated semi-hexagon, with large green
  22. ^ A triangle with arterial road
  23. ^ And extra zones of green and playgrounds
  24. ^ a b c Recesses in a building’s front (car parks in indents) are marked no for ease of reference.
  25. ^ Block of flats with smaller garden to rear
  26. ^ More than 1000 flats occupy the Houses of Dolphin Square, the building sitting in the square is its Sports Centre with café/restaurant. Beatty House, Collingwood House, Drake House, Duncan House, Frobisher House, Grenville House and Hawkins House, Hood House, Howard House, Keyes House, Nelson House, Raleigh House, Rodney House
  27. ^ Half of Smith Square is a church if excluding the circular road with five exits surrounding
  28. ^ Retail estate, north of, and café-centrepiece town square
  29. ^ A long lune shape
  30. ^ Alexander Square is on one side trees to the back of houses on Egerton Crescent (the only square is conceived taking in Brompton Road), has three minor roads around the other sides of its thin strip of green divided in two by another minor road
  31. ^ Most of the gardens are to the side at Rose Square, a former hospital, Fulham Road, Chelsea, London
  32. ^ Chantry Square is set around a small circle with a semi-circular hedge, and is part of Kensington Green, a private gated-community
  33. ^ Shopping centre
  34. ^ Chesterton Square is a large courtyard of a large civic/social housing building
  35. ^ a b c d e A courtyard
  36. ^ South part has a courtyard used for parking and small shrubbery
  37. ^ Half of Trinity Church Square is Henry Wood Hall, an Arts Organisation that replaced the church.
  38. ^ Half of St Philip Square is the Church of St Philip with St Bartholomew.
  39. ^ a b c d Triangular
  40. ^ Cornwall Square is divided by fences among the owners.
  41. ^ Bounded by the Thames, a boat repair marina and the roads named Deptford Wharf and Plough Way, St George’s Square in SE8 has no homes or businesses.
  42. ^ A narrow asphalted accessway
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h i A cross- or t-shaped road, without such space or with apartments that have courtyard(s); mainly a parking lot or accessway.
  44. ^ Mainly water
  45. ^ T shaped, pedestrian hardscape
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j A directly enclosed-by-homes, green courtyard
  47. ^ A tree set in complex-footprint hardstanding
  48. ^ Octagon: three sides unfilled
  49. ^ A short street, leading past Bishops Square, becoming Lamb Street
  50. ^ a b c d e Part of a road with a slight kink
  51. ^ Mostly fenced separate homes and gardens; has a railed verge, with shrubbery, of size stated
  52. ^ Three triangles (a tree- and shrub-planted verge crossed by two roads and bounded by another)
  53. ^ Sometimes considered part of Chiswick High Road
References
  1. ^ London Buildings Acts (Amendment) Act 1939, Part 2: Naming and Numbering of Streets and Buildings.
  2. ^ Street Naming application pack Example policy list from Kensington and Chelsea, replacing similar earlier rule. Retrieved 2018-03-12
  3. ^ "Your garden square and you" Archived 2006-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, UK. URL accessed 20 June 2006.
  4. ^ Camilla Phelps, "London opens its gates". The English Garden, June 2013, 97.
  5. ^ "Square" Details of 21st century square, at Farm Lane, Fulham, London Square Group, 2018
  6. ^ "Square"" Details of 21st century square at Waldegrave Road, Teddington, London Square Group, 2018
  7. ^ "Brunswick Square, Orpington" Berkeley Homes Group, 2018
  8. ^ "Royal Warwick Square, Kensington", Berkeley Homes Group, 2018
  9. ^ "St George's Square, Sudbury Hill, Harrow" Taylor Wimpey, 2018
  10. ^ "Tolworth Square, Surbiton" Taylor Wimpey, 2018
  11. ^ Phelps, "London opens its gates". The English Garden, June 2013, 95–98.
  12. ^ "World Archaeology Festival 2013", UCL.
  13. ^ "Cédric Le Borgne: Was That a Dream?". visitlondon.com.
  14. ^ Smith, Rupert (2005). EastEnders: 20 Years in Albert Square. BBC Books. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-563-52165-5.
  15. ^ "Bench in Soho Square". Kirsty MacColl. 2001-08-12. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  16. ^ "Elvis Lives On the Moon (1993) | discography | Lindisfarne - the official website". Archived from the original on 2014-03-25.
  17. ^ Historic England. "lamp post in Pensioners Court (1206699)". National Heritage List for England.
  18. ^ Historic England. "Archway to Rotherhithe Tunnel Approach (1385848)". National Heritage List for England.
  19. ^ Historic England. "Rotherhithe (Norwegian Seamen) War Memorial (1449959)". National Heritage List for England.
  20. ^ Flat Iron Square at Google Maps; a street food market that was once a large parking lot, between Southwark St and Union St.
  21. ^ Has three squares opening out onto the Thames
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