Northampton Square

Northampton Square.

View of the main building of City, University of London from Northampton Square.

Northampton Square is a town square in Clerkenwell, north London. It is located between Goswell Road and St John Street, in the EC1 postcode area, and houses City, University of London's main campus.

History

The area began to be developed in the industrial revolution. Northampton Square was first laid out for housing in 1832, taking its name from the local landowner, the Marquess of Northampton. A fountain in the square commemorates the 1885 restoration of the gardens by Shropshire magistrate Charles Walker, who had been born in Clerkenwell. Lady Margaret Georgiana Graham, daughter of William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton, opened the restored gardens on 8 July 1885.^[1]

The square has historically housed clockmakers, jewellers, silversmiths and other fine crafts. The print-maker George Baxter lived and worked at 11 Northampton Square from 1844-1860. The site is marked by a plaque on the modern building at that address.^[2] In 1878, Walter Thornbury reported that No. 35, Northampton Square was the home of the British Horological Institute, “for the cultivation of the science of horology, and its kindred arts and manufactures”.^[3]

City, University of London in Northampton Square

In 1891, the Northampton Institute was founded, and its original building opened in the Square in 1896.^[4] In 2001, a fire gutted the Grade II listed College Building; it was fully restored, re-opening in July 2006. The Institute evolved to become The City University, created by Royal Charter in 1966 and housed in a major new campus, designed by Richard Sheppard Robson and Partners in 1962, and completed in 1976, dominating the north side of Northampton Square.^[5] The Ewan McGregor film Incendiary was filmed partly at this location.

Northampton Square bandstand

The bandstand in the centre of the square was built by Finsbury Borough Council in 1930 as a public amenity. It is unusual in being a bandstand in a residential square rather than a large public park.^[6] In August 2008, Northampton Square bandstand was the inaugural venue for the musical entertainment Big Summer Busk.^[7] In 2010, it was a venue for the Bandstand Busking event.^[8] After a major refurbishment, the bandstand was reopened in 2011 by the Mayor of Islington and the Vice-Chancellor of the University.^[9]

References

Coordinates: 51°31′38″N 0°06′08″W / 51.5273°N 0.1023°W / 51.5273; -0.1023

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