Squares in London in the context of "Bloomsbury"

⭐ In the context of Bloomsbury, the prominent feature of garden squares was largely a result of planning and development during which historical period?

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⭐ Core Definition: Squares in London

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. London's largest privately owned square is Vincent Square, in Westminster, which comprises 13 acres.

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.

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👉 Squares in London in the context of Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions.Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest museum in the United Kingdom, and several educational institutions, including University College London and a number of other colleges and institutes of the University of London as well as its central headquarters, the New College of the Humanities, the University of Law, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the British Medical Association and many others. Bloomsbury is an intellectual and literary hub for London, as home of world-known Bloomsbury Publishing, publishers of the Harry Potter series, and namesake of the Bloomsbury Group, a group of British intellectuals which included author Virginia Woolf, biographer Lytton Strachey, and economist John Maynard Keynes.

Bloomsbury began to be developed in the 17th century under the Earls of Southampton, but it was primarily in the 19th century, under the Duke of Bedford, that the district was planned and built as an affluent Regency era residential area by famed developer James Burton. The district is known for its numerous garden squares, including Bloomsbury Square, Russell Square and Bedford Square.

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Squares in London in the context of Vincent Square

Vincent Square is a grass-covered square in Westminster, London, England. It is London's largest privately owned square, covering 13 acres, lined with mature trees including London Planes. In among a network of backstreets, it chiefly provides playing fields for Westminster School, who own it absolutely; otherwise, it functions as a green lung and a view for the homes, hotel and other organisations adjoining. Nine of its adjoining buildings have been given strict statutory architectural recognition and protection. The Liberal Democrat Headquarters, housing one of Parliament's three largest political parties, was based at 1 Vincent Square, until September 2025.

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Squares in London in the context of Camberwell Green

Camberwell Green is a hectare (2.5 acres) of common land in Camberwell, south London laid out as a formal park. Its south-west corner is the junction of Camberwell Road/Denmark Hill and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. Its other edges share one point of motor vehicle access. Behind a library at the north-east of the Green is the former Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the north-west is a home for the elderly. To the south-west, and overlooking the Green, is a parade of shops including banks and restaurants. The Green is recorded in surveys and accounts of the manor of Camberwell and vestry of Southwark as common land, meaning owned by the lord of the manor but subject to grazing and other rights of local residents. It was bought by Camberwell Parish Vestry in the late 19th century to protect it from development. Camberwell Green is also the name of the London Borough of Southwark electoral ward around the Green.

Measured from building to building, the open space including roads and pavements, and private frontages (size of the square) is 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres), and due to curves its parameters are not fixed; these average about 190 metres by 90 metres.

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Squares in London in the context of Berkeley Square

Berkeley Square /ˈbɑːrkli/ is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent, and originally extended further south. The garden's very large London Plane trees are among the oldest in central London, planted in 1789.

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Squares in London in the context of Eaton Square

51°29′46″N 0°9′6″W / 51.49611°N 0.15167°W / 51.49611; -0.15167

Eaton Square is a rectangular, residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is the largest square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century that are named after places in Cheshire — in this case Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house. It is larger but less grand than the central feature of the district, Belgrave Square, and both larger and grander than Chester Square. The first block was laid out by Thomas Cubitt from 1827. In 2016 it was named as the "Most Expensive Place to Buy Property in Britain", with a full terraced house costing on average £17 million — many of such town houses have been converted, within the same, protected structures, into upmarket apartments.

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Squares in London in the context of List of garden squares in London

This is a list of garden squares, broadly defined, in London, England. Unlike the list at Squares in London, which partially overlaps, these places all have a clear communal garden element and may be named other than Square; commonly in order, Gardens, Crescent, Place, Fields and Circus reflecting the diversity of the city's complex street layout. Non-square instances are only in this list if strongly, inherently notable for architecture, use or size – a common selectivity in the study of the history and use of such spaces.

The list deliberately avoids many similar public greens, verges and crescents outside of Central London. So too the few large public green places (commons or parks) away from the City which are not shrouded by six-foot (or more) walls even if faced conspicuously by buildings.

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