Arbour Square

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Terrace on the south side of Arbour Square

Arbour Square is a late Georgian square in Stepney, in the borough of Tower Hamlets, East London.

It is located just off the Commercial Road (A13) approximately one mile (1.6km) east of the City of London. The square is currently laid out as a formal garden with mature trees and planting and is surrounded on two sides by elegant early 19th century townhouses.

Arbour Square was laid out as a garden enclosure in 1819. By 1830, contemporary maps show buildings on all sides of the square and many of the surrounding roads.^[1] The south and west sides of the square are still made up of the original three and four storey Georgian townhouses which are Grade II listed. The east side was demolished and replaced by the Raine's School building (also Grade II listed) in 1913, while the terrace on the north side was replaced by a block of flats in 1937.^[2] The Raine's School building now houses part of Tower Hamlets College.

Running north from the square on the west side is West Arbour Street; and running north on the east side is East Arbour street which is a smaller two storey Georgian terrace. The former Arbour Square police station which once held the Kray Twins and alleged IRA terrorists is located between these two streets; it closed in 1999 and is currently being redeveloped.^[3]

Together with the surrounding streets, Albert Gardens and several early 19th century terraces on the Commercial Road, it became part of the Albert Gardens Conservation area in 1969.

[edit] References

^ Greenwood's Map of London, second edition (1830)
^ London Borough of Tower Hamlets Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Management Guidelines
^ O’Neill, Sean; Nicola Woolcock. "Squatters find police station is good home without any charges", Times Online, News International Group, 2005-01-17. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.