Image © Will Pearson 2009

Asked to name a famous London Square and Trafalgar Square is likely to be the first to anyone’s lips. However, starting in the 17th century going right through to the mid 19th century, Londoners went mad for squares.

The gardens in the centre of these squares were originally mostly open, but this proved to be a magnet for tramps, criminals and people dumping rubbish. There were fears that people discontented (with government or monarchy for example) could congregate in the squares and riot. To combat the problems and fears, railings were added to enclose the gardens, making them accessible only to the residents and keeping the ‘rabble’ firmly out.

The gardens of St James’s Square were re-landscaped by John Nash, the noted architect. Gardens were being remodelled to look like the land of a country estate. Cavendish Square’s gardens took the idea to a new level, shipping in sheep to roam the gardens. This wasn’t universally approved however, and the architect James Stuart sneered:

“…the apparent intention here was to excite pastoral ideas in the mind; and this endeavoured to be effected by cooping up a few frightened sheep within a wooden paling; which, were it not for their sooty fleeces and meagre carcases, would be more apt to give the idea of a butcher’s pen… To see the poor things starting at every coach, and hurrying round and round their narrow bounds, requires a warm imagination indeed, to convert the scene into that of flocks ranging the fields, with all the concomitant ideas of innocence and a pastoral life.”

During the second world war, iron railings throughout London were taken down and melted down for armaments. This led to public access to the gardens which for many of the squares was retained even after the war.

In June each year, the London Parks and Gardens Trust organises the Open Garden Squares Weekend, where you can visit gardens in London not normally open to the public - which is a great opportunity to explore some of London’s hidden gems.

As well as the squares mentioned above, you can view London Revolution virtual tours of Bedford Square and Fitzroy Square.

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Tags: bedford square, cavendish square, fitzroy square, London Squares, open squares weekend, st james's square

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at 11:24 am and is filed under London History & Information, London Squares, London Virtual Tours. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.