Arlington Square Garden

Arlington Square Garden stands on land that once served a very different purpose. Centuries ago, this site was known as Shepherd and Shepherdess Fields, a resting place for sheep farmers who spent the night here with their flocks before driving them down to the meat markets at Smithfield. The area eventually transitioned from rural pasture into the Victorian residential neighborhood you see today, but the square remained a utilitarian space throughout the twentieth century. During the Second World War, the land was repurposed for the war effort, serving as a site for trench shelters and a mooring base for a barrage balloon designed to deter enemy bombers.