Soho Square
Encyclopedia
Soho Square is a square in Soho
, London
, England
, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II
, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut. During the summer, it hosts open-air free concerts.
. A statue of Charles II was carved by Danish sculptor Caius Gabriel Cibber
in 1681 and placed at the center of the Square. By the early 19th century, the statue was described as being 'in a most wretched mutilated state; and the inscriptions on the base of the pedestal quite illegible'. In 1875, it was removed during alterations in the square by T. Blackwell, of Crosse and Blackwell, the condiment firm, who gave it for safekeeping to his friend, artist Frederick Goodall
, with the intention that it might be restored. Goodall placed the statue on an island in his lake at Grim's Dyke
, where it remained when dramatist W. S. Gilbert
purchased the property in 1890, and there it stayed after Gilbert's death in 1911. In her will, Lady Gilbert directed that the statue be returned, and it was restored to Soho Square in 1938.
Between 1778 and 1801 the Square was home to the infamous White House brothel.
Wilfrid Voynich had his antiquarian bookshop at 1 Soho Square from 1902. The publisher Rupert Hart-Davis
was at No. 36 from c1947.
Two of the original houses, nos. 10 and 15, still stand. At nos. 8 and 9 is the French Protestant Church, built in 1891-3.
, 20th Century Fox
, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
, Fin London, Paul McCartney
's MPL Communications
, Tiger Aspect Productions
, Wasserman Media Group, and See Tickets
. The square is also home to St. Patrick's Church
a large Roman Catholic Parish church that features extensive catacombs that spread deep under the Square and further afield.
Streets running off of the square, from north clockwise, are Soho Street, Sutton Row, Greek Street
, Batemans Buildings, Frith Street
and Carlisle Street.
by Charles Dickens
, Soho Square is where Lucie and her father, Doctor Manette, reside.
The Soho Square garden contains a bench that commemorates the late singer Kirsty MacColl
, who wrote the song "Soho Square" for her album Titanic Days
. After her death in 2000, fans bought a memorial bench in her honour, inscribing the lyrics: "One day I'll be waiting there / No empty bench in Soho Square".
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
, 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut. During the summer, it hosts open-air free concerts.
History
Built in the late 1670s, Soho Square was in its early years one of the most fashionable places to live in London. It was originally called King's Square, for King Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. A statue of Charles II was carved by Danish sculptor Caius Gabriel Cibber
Caius Gabriel Cibber
Caius Gabriel Cibber was a Danish sculptor, who enjoyed great success in England, and was the father of the actor, author and poet laureate Colley Cibber. He was appointed "carver to the king's closet" by William III....
in 1681 and placed at the center of the Square. By the early 19th century, the statue was described as being 'in a most wretched mutilated state; and the inscriptions on the base of the pedestal quite illegible'. In 1875, it was removed during alterations in the square by T. Blackwell, of Crosse and Blackwell, the condiment firm, who gave it for safekeeping to his friend, artist Frederick Goodall
Frederick Goodall
Frederick Goodall was an English artist.Goodall was born in London, England in 1822, the second son of steel line engraver Edward Goodall . He received his education at the Wellington Road Academy....
, with the intention that it might be restored. Goodall placed the statue on an island in his lake at Grim's Dyke
Grim's Dyke
Grim's Dyke is the name of a house and estate located in Harrow Weald, in Northwest London, England, built in 1872 by Norman Shaw, and named after the nearby pre-historic earthwork known as Grim's Ditch. The house is best known as the home of dramatist W.S. Gilbert, who lived there for the last...
, where it remained when dramatist W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
purchased the property in 1890, and there it stayed after Gilbert's death in 1911. In her will, Lady Gilbert directed that the statue be returned, and it was restored to Soho Square in 1938.
Between 1778 and 1801 the Square was home to the infamous White House brothel.
Wilfrid Voynich had his antiquarian bookshop at 1 Soho Square from 1902. The publisher Rupert Hart-Davis
Rupert Hart-Davis
Sir Rupert Charles Hart-Davis was an English publisher, editor and man of letters. He founded the publishing company Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd...
was at No. 36 from c1947.
Two of the original houses, nos. 10 and 15, still stand. At nos. 8 and 9 is the French Protestant Church, built in 1891-3.
Present day
Soho Square is home to several media organisations, including the British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a leading company in the business of traditional and digital cinema services.By focusing on both theatrical and home entertainment, Deluxe sets up complete digital workflow solutions for such major motion-picture groups as The Walt Disney Company, 20th...
, Fin London, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's MPL Communications
MPL Communications
MPL Communications is the holding company for the business interests of Sir Paul McCartney. In addition to handling McCartney's post-Beatles work, MPL is also one of the world's largest privately owned music publishers through its acquisition of numerous other publishing companies...
, Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions is a British television production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Co-founded by producer Peter Bennett-Jones, its productions have included popular hits such as The Vicar of Dibley and Mr. Bean...
, Wasserman Media Group, and See Tickets
See Tickets
See Tickets is the trading name of a British ticketing services company owned by Vivendi. See was previously owned by Parcom Capital and before that was the ticketing division of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and the largest UK owned ticketing company.Created from the merger of the...
. The square is also home to St. Patrick's Church
St. Patrick's Church, Soho Square
St Patrick's Church is a very large Roman Catholic Parish Church in Soho Square, London that features extensive catacombs . St...
a large Roman Catholic Parish church that features extensive catacombs that spread deep under the Square and further afield.
Streets running off of the square, from north clockwise, are Soho Street, Sutton Row, Greek Street
Greek Street
Greek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants and cosmopolitan nature.-History:...
, Batemans Buildings, Frith Street
Frith Street
Frith Street is in the Soho area of London, England. To the north is Soho Square and to the south is Shaftesbury Avenue. The street crosses Old Compton Street, Bateman Street and Romilly Street.- History :...
and Carlisle Street.
Cultural references
In the book A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Soho Square is where Lucie and her father, Doctor Manette, reside.
The Soho Square garden contains a bench that commemorates the late singer Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
, who wrote the song "Soho Square" for her album Titanic Days
Titanic Days
Titanic Days is Kirsty MacColl's fourth studio album, released in 1993. Containing 11 tracks, Titanic Days was sometimes hard to get in years after its release, but it was re-released in 2005 with a second CD of non-album tracks and some live recordings, including a version of "Miss Otis Regrets".-...
. After her death in 2000, fans bought a memorial bench in her honour, inscribing the lyrics: "One day I'll be waiting there / No empty bench in Soho Square".
Nearby places
- Tottenham Court Road tube stationTottenham Court Road tube stationTottenham Court Road is a London Underground station in central London. It is an interchange between the Central line and the branch of the Northern line.On the Central line it is between and , and on the Northern line it is between and...
- Oxford StreetOxford StreetOxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, to the North - Charing Cross RoadCharing Cross RoadCharing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus and then becomes Tottenham Court Road...
, to the East - Greek StreetGreek StreetGreek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants and cosmopolitan nature.-History:...
, to the South