King Square, London
King Square is a square in St Luke's area of the London Borough of Islington. It is situated at the corner of Lever Street and Central Street; it borders King Square Gardens to the West.
Surroundings
The square is surrounded by restaurants, cafeterias, a newsagent's, a florist shop, a pub and a residential development. 19th century St Clement's Church stands in the corner of the square. On the other side of Central Street stands Thistle City Barbican Hotel.
History
The square, surrounded by spacious housing for wealthy Londoners to live in a convenient distance from the City, was laid out between 1822 and 1825 on land belonging to St Bartholomew's Hospital.[1] The square was named after King George IV who was the monarch at the time.
In 1824 the construction of a church at the square (then called St Barnabas) was completed. During Victorian times, the social composition of the area changed and the housing was occupied mostly by poorer Londoners, with houses divided into smaller flats. The area now occupied by the square was badly damaged during the Blitz and the houses were demolished in the 1950s.
In 1959 Finsbury Borough Council ordered the construction of the King Square Estate surrounding the square; work was completed in 1965. The estate was designed by Emberton, Franck and Tardrew and built from pre-cast concrete. Turnpike House (the tallest tower) was completed in 1965; it stands to the west of King Square Gardens, with ground-level arch providing entrance to the park. President House (a collection of six-storey blocks) was built to the north of the park.[2]
Transport
The nearest bus stops are located on the nearby Goswell Road (London Bus routes 4 and 56) as well as City Road (route 43). The square is approximately 10 minutes walk from Angel, Barbican, and Old Street tube stations.