# Northampton Square > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Northampton_Square > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Northampton_Square.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northampton_Square > Source revision: 1345016679 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Northampton Square**, a green [town square](/source/Town_square), is in a corner of [Clerkenwell](/source/Clerkenwell) projecting into [Finsbury](/source/Finsbury),[1] in [Central London](/source/Central_London). It is between [Goswell Road](/source/Goswell_Road) and St John Street (and [Spencer and Percival](/source/Spencer_Perceval) Streets), has a very broad pedestrian walkway on the north-west side between university buildings and is fronted chiefly by the main buildings of [City St George's, University of London](/source/City_St_George's,_University_of_London). ## History The area began to be developed in the industrial revolution. The land was laid out as a residential square in 1803-04 and the houses were built between 1805 and 1814.[2] The square took its name from the local landowner, the Marquess of Northampton. The gardens were opened to the public in 1885, with funding from the [Metropolitan Public Gardens Association](/source/Metropolitan_Public_Gardens_Association). The Association's landscape gardener [Fanny Wilkinson](/source/Fanny_Wilkinson) designed the gardens, and included a drinking fountain and bandstand, both of which remain, as does a circle of [London planes](/source/Platanus_%C3%97_hispanica).[3] The fountain in the square commemorates the 1885 restoration of the gardens by [Shropshire](/source/Shropshire) magistrate Charles Walker, who had been born in Clerkenwell.[4] Lady Margaret Georgiana Graham, daughter of [William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton](/source/William_Compton,_4th_Marquess_of_Northampton), opened the restored gardens on 8 July 1885.[5] The square has historically housed clockmakers, jewellers, silversmiths and other fine crafts and more recently houses a fine eatery known locally as Cafe Fiori which is very popular with locals and students alike. The print-maker [George Baxter](/source/George_Baxter_(printer)) lived and worked at No.11 from 1844 to 1860. The site is marked by a plaque on the modern building at that address.[6] In 1878, [Walter Thornbury](/source/Walter_Thornbury) reported that No.35 head-quartered the British Horological Institute, “for the cultivation of the science of horology, and its kindred arts and manufactures”.[7] By the 1960s such trades had left the area and the buildings were a mixture of flats and offices.[2] No.18, on the corner of Ashby Street, replaced the Ashby Castle pub (from 1813 to 1882).[8] ## City St. George's, University of London, in Northampton Square In 1891, the [Northampton Institute](/source/City_University_London#Origins) was founded, and its original building opened in the Square in 1896.[9] 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 City St. George's, University of London. The City University was created by Royal Charter in 1966 and housed in a major new campus, designed by [Richard Sheppard Robson and Partners](/source/Sheppard_Robson) in 1962, and completed in 1976, dominating the north side of Northampton Square.[10] City, University of London merged with St George’s, University of London on 1 August 2024 to become City St George’s, University of London. The 2008 film *[Incendiary](/source/Incendiary_(film))* starring [Ewan McGregor](/source/Ewan_McGregor) was filmed partly at this location. ## Northampton Square bandstand The bandstand in the centre was built by [Finsbury Borough Council](/source/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Finsbury) in 1930 as a public amenity. It is unusual in being a bandstand in a residential square rather than a large public park.[11] In August 2008, Northampton Square bandstand was the inaugural venue for the musical entertainment Big Summer Busk.[12] In 2010, it was a venue for the Bandstand Busking event.[13] After a major refurbishment, the bandstand was reopened in 2011 by the Mayor of Islington and the Vice-Chancellor of the University.[14] ## References 1. [St James, Clerkenwell parish](https://www.achurchnearyou.com/search/?lat=51.527&lon=-0.1020) - Church of England parish finder. 1. ["Northampton Square area: Northampton Square and adjacent streets | British History Online"](http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp304-321) 1. ["London Gardens Trust: Northampton Square Gardens"](https://londongardenstrust.org/conservation/inventory/site-record/?ID=ISL057&sitename=Northampton+Square+Gardens). Retrieved 19 January 2021. 1. ["Survey of London: Volume 46, South and East Clerkenwell"](https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp304-321). Retrieved 19 January 2021. 1. ["Fountain: Charles Walker & Lady Graham"](http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/charles-walker-lady-graham). London Remembers. 1. London Remembers ["George Baxter : London Remembers, Aiming to capture all memorials in London"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130312050257/http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/george-baxter). Archived from [the original](http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/george-baxter) on 2013-03-12. Retrieved 2012-08-06. 1. ["Front | British History Online"](https://www.british-history.ac.uk). *www.british-history.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2025-01-09. 1. ["Ashby Castle, 10 Upper Ashby Street, Clerkenwell EC1"](https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Clerkenwell/AshbyCastle.shtml). *London Pub History* 1. ["City's history | City, University of London"](https://www.city.ac.uk/about/history). *www.city.ac.uk*. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2025-01-09. 1. City a History [http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/80001/10-City-A-History-Chapter-8.pdf](http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/80001/10-City-A-History-Chapter-8.pdf) 1. Reopening of the Northampton Square bandstand [http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/97319/City-Uni-6669-Bandstand-Brochure-AC3a.pdf](http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/97319/City-Uni-6669-Bandstand-Brochure-AC3a.pdf) 1. The Big Summer Busk at BandstandBusking.com [Accessed 9 January 2011] 1. Pearson, Rick (2012-04-12). ["Buskers revive sound of music in park bandstands"](https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/buskers-revive-sound-of-music-in-park-bandstands-6509635.html). *The Standard*. Retrieved 2025-01-09. 1. ["Fanfare for spruced-up bandstand in Northampton Square"](https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/fanfare-spruced-bandstand-northampton-square). *Camden New Journal*. Retrieved 2025-01-09. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Northampton Square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northampton_Square) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northampton_Square?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.