Bloomsbury Square
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Bloomsbury Square is a garden square in Bloomsbury, Camden, London.
The square was developed by 4th Earl of Southampton, in the late 17th century, and was initially known as Southampton Square. It was one of the earliest London squares. The Earl's own house, then known as Southampton House and later as Bedford House after the square and the rest of the Bloomsbury Estate passed by marriage from the Earls of Southampton to the Dukes of Bedford, occupied the whole of the north side of the square. The other sides were lined with typical terraced houses of the time, which were initially occupied by members of the aristocracy and gentry.
By the early 19th century, Bloomsbury was no longer fashionable with the upper classes. Consequently the Duke of Bedford of the day moved out of Bedford House, which was demolished and replaced with further terraced houses. In the 19th century square was occupied mainly by middle class professionals. The writer Isaac D'Israeli lived at No. 6 from 1817 to 1829 and for part of that time his son, the future Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli lived with him. In the 20th century most of the buildings came to be used as offices.
Bloomsbury Square's garden contains a statue of Charles James Fox, who was a Whig associate of the Dukes of Bedford. None of the original 17th century buildings survive, but there are many handsome 18th and early 19th century houses. The eastern side of the square is occupied by a large early 20th century office building called Victoria House which was on the short list to become London's city hall when the Greater London Authority was founded in 2000, but it was not chosen. The garden is open to the public and was refurbished in 2003.
The second movement of Symphony no 2 (A London Symphony) by Vaughan Williams is intended to represent "Bloomsbury Square on a November Afternoon"
[edit] See also
Other squares on the Bedford Estate in Bloomsbury included:
[edit] External links
Vaughan Williams
