Bloomsbury Square

Bloomsbury Square is the oldest residential square in London, first laid out by the Earl of Southampton in the sixteen sixties. He originally intended for this space to be an elite enclave, surrounding his own massive residence, Southampton House, which sat on the northern side of the square. The project represented a significant shift in urban planning, moving away from the cramped, medieval street patterns of the city and toward the spacious, orderly design that defined the aristocratic development of the West End.