Arbour Square
Encyclopedia
Arbour Square is a late Georgian
square in Stepney
, in the borough of Tower Hamlets, east London
, England.
It is located just off the Commercial Road
(A13) approximately one mile (1.6 km) east of the City of London
. The square is currently laid out as a formal garden with mature trees and planting and is surrounded on two sides by elegant early 19th century townhouse
s.
Arbour Square was laid out as a garden enclosure in 1819. By 1830, contemporary maps show buildings on all sides of the square and many of the surrounding roads. The south and west sides of the square are still made up of the original three and four storey Georgian townhouses which are Grade II listed. The east side was demolished and replaced by the Raine's School building (also Grade II listed) in 1913, while the terrace on the north side was replaced by a block of flats in 1937. The Raine's School building now houses part of Tower Hamlets College
.
Running north from the square on the west side is West Arbour Street; and running north on the east side is East Arbour street which is a smaller two storey Georgian terrace. The former Arbour Square police station which once held the Kray Twins
and alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army
terrorists is located between these two streets; it closed in 1999 and has recently been redeveloped into flats.
Together with the surrounding streets, Albert Gardens and several early 19th century terraces on the Commercial Road, it became part of the Albert Gardens Conservation area in 1969.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
square in Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
, in the borough of Tower Hamlets, east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
It is located just off the Commercial Road
Commercial Road
Commercial Road , in length, is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It runs from "Gardener's Corner" , through Stepney to the junction with Burdett Road , Limehouse from which point the route becomes the East India Dock Road...
(A13) approximately one mile (1.6 km) east of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The square is currently laid out as a formal garden with mature trees and planting and is surrounded on two sides by elegant early 19th century townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s.
Arbour Square was laid out as a garden enclosure in 1819. By 1830, contemporary maps show buildings on all sides of the square and many of the surrounding roads. The south and west sides of the square are still made up of the original three and four storey Georgian townhouses which are Grade II listed. The east side was demolished and replaced by the Raine's School building (also Grade II listed) in 1913, while the terrace on the north side was replaced by a block of flats in 1937. The Raine's School building now houses part of Tower Hamlets College
Tower Hamlets College
Tower Hamlets College is a large further education college in Tower Hamlets, London, England. The college has four different campuses: the largest is on Poplar High Street, about 700m north of Canary Wharf; the others are at Arbour Square, Bethnal Green and the Financial Skills Academy on the East...
.
Running north from the square on the west side is West Arbour Street; and running north on the east side is East Arbour street which is a smaller two storey Georgian terrace. The former Arbour Square police station which once held the Kray Twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
and alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
terrorists is located between these two streets; it closed in 1999 and has recently been redeveloped into flats.
Together with the surrounding streets, Albert Gardens and several early 19th century terraces on the Commercial Road, it became part of the Albert Gardens Conservation area in 1969.