You’re walking through London, dodging the selfie sticks at the British Museum, when you stumble into a patch of green that feels... different. It’s quiet. A bit posh, but in an understated, "old money" kind of way. This is Bloomsbury Square.
Most people think Covent Garden was the first "square" in London. Honestly? They're wrong. While Covent Garden had the layout earlier, Bloomsbury Square was the first place in the city to actually be called a "square."
It basically invented the London lifestyle we see in movies today—terraced houses surrounding a private garden where the elite could escape the soot of the 17th-century city.
The Earl Who Ran Away From the Plague
The whole thing started with Thomas Wriothesley, the 4th Earl of Southampton. Back in the early 1660s, he had a massive house (Southampton House) and decided he wanted some fancy neighbors. He built a "piazza" in front of his home, leased out the land, and then—in a very relatable move—promptly fled to the countryside because the Great Plague was hitting London.
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By the time he came back, he’d started a trend.
He didn't just build houses; he created a self-contained "little town." It was the ultimate "rus in urbe"—bringing the country into the city. At the time, if you stood on the north side of the square, you weren't looking at more buildings. You were looking at open fields all the way to Hampstead. Imagine that in central London now.
A Duel and a Death Sentence
If you think the square is just a sleepy park, you've missed the drama. On April 9, 1694, a man named John Law killed Edward "Beau" Wilson in a duel right here.
Law was sentenced to death but managed to pull off a Hollywood-style prison break, escaped to France, and eventually became their de facto Prime Minister and the founder of the Mississippi Company.
You’ve probably walked over the exact spot where he drew his sword without even knowing it.
Why Bloomsbury Square Still Matters Today
Architecture nerds get really excited about this place because it’s a living timeline. None of the original 1660s buildings are still standing, but what’s left is even more interesting.
You’ve got:
- Regency houses on the north side built by James Burton.
- The massive Victoria House on the east, which looks like it belongs in Gotham City.
- No. 6, where Isaac D’Israeli lived. His son Benjamin (the future Prime Minister) grew up there.
The square was originally "cruciform"—basically four grass quarters with paths. Then, around 1807, the Duke of Bedford brought in Humphry Repton, the legendary landscape gardener.
Repton added the "high style" stuff: curving paths, a formal lime tree walk, and thick shrubberies. He wanted it to feel like a private estate.
The Gordon Riots: When it all Burned
It wasn't always tea and polite conversation. In June 1780, the square turned into a war zone. During the Gordon Riots, a mob targeted the home of the Earl of Mansfield (the Lord Chief Justice) because he was seen as being too "lenient" toward Catholics.
They didn't just protest; they torched his house and threw his 30,000-volume library into the street to burn.
Soldiers eventually showed up and fired into the crowd. Hundreds died. A few weeks later, they actually set up gallows in the square and hanged the rioters right in front of the ruins of Mansfield’s house.
The "Bloomsbury Set" and the 20th Century Shift
By the 1800s, the aristocracy started moving West to Mayfair because Bloomsbury was getting "too middle class." This opened the door for the intellectuals.
While the famous "Bloomsbury Group" (Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, and the rest) are more associated with nearby Gordon Square or Tavistock Square, their DNA is all over Bloomsbury Square.
You can feel the "intellectual quarter" vibe here. Today, the square is surrounded by heavy hitters:
- Le Cordon Bleu (No. 15) for the foodies.
- The German Historical Institute (No. 17).
- Pushkin House (No. 5a) for Russian culture.
It’s weird to think that until the Second World War, this was a private garden. You needed a key to get in. During the war, the iron railings were ripped out to be melted down for "armaments" (though most of them just ended up at the bottom of the Thames or in a scrap heap).
Since 1950, it's been public. You can sit on a bench where a Duke used to glare at commoners from his window.
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What to Do When You Visit
Honestly, the best way to see Bloomsbury Square is to treat it like a base camp. It’s a five-minute walk from the British Museum, but way less stressful.
- Look for the Statue: There’s a bronze of Charles James Fox on the north side. He was a radical Whig politician who loved the Dukes of Bedford.
- The Underground Secret: There is a massive car park hidden directly under the grass. It was built in the early 70s, which is why the southern part of the garden looks a bit more modern and geometric than the rest.
- Check the Pavement: There’s a quote from John Evelyn’s diary (1665) engraved into the stone in the central plaza. It mentions the Earl of Southampton building his "oval square."
Wait, what about the "Field of Forty Footsteps"?
Local legend says that back when this was all fields, two brothers fought a duel over a woman and both died. Supposedly, their forty footsteps remained imprinted in the grass for decades and no plants would ever grow there.
Spoiler: You won't find them now. The landscaping of the 19th century pretty much wiped out the "haunted" grass.
Practical Steps for Your Trip
If you’re planning to visit Bloomsbury Square in London, don't just walk through it.
Start your morning at the British Museum early to beat the rush, then grab a coffee at one of the small shops on Bury Place. Walk into the square and find a bench on the west side—it has the best view of the Regency terraces.
From there, it's a short hop to the Charles Dickens Museum on Doughty Street or the Foundling Museum, which tells the heartbreaking story of London’s first home for abandoned babies.
If you're into architecture, walk south toward Holborn station and look up at Victoria House. It's a Neo-Classical beast that shows exactly how much power the insurance companies had in the early 1900s.
Bloomsbury isn't a "hidden gem"—everyone knows it—but Bloomsbury Square is where the whole idea of a "modern London neighborhood" actually began. It’s worth more than a five-minute shortcut.