Thurloe Square

Thurloe Square owes its name to John Thurloe, a man who served as the powerful spymaster and advisor to Oliver Cromwell during the mid-seventeenth century. Cromwell originally gifted this plot of land to him as a reward for his political services during the English Commonwealth. By the mid-nineteenth century, the area was transformed into a residential landmark by the architect George Basevi, whose design for the townhouses marked a significant shift toward the Italianate style in London.