Inventory Site Record

Gloucester Square was laid out as part of George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tyburnia' of 1838 on the estate lands of the Church Commissioners, in an axis containing Sussex Square, Cambridge and Oxford Squares and Norfolk Crescent. Its name derives from William, Duke of Gloucester, who had a townhouse nearby. The south side was designed in 1844 by George Ledwell Taylor; the other three sides are now redevelopments of the C20th. The garden enclosure was provided as a private garden for occupiers of the square. Nowadays there are roses and flowerbeds, and substantial mature London plane trees.

Site location:

Gloucester Square, Paddington

Postcode:

W2

What 3 Words:

fund.tiger.badly

Type of site:

Garden Square

Borough:

Westminster

Open to public?

Occasionally

Opening times:

Has opened for OGSW. Otherwise private, for keyholders only
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 11 times, most recently in 2025.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Children's play area

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Paddington (District, Circle, Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City), Lancaster Gate (Central). Bus: 7, 12, 15, 23, 27, 36, 94, 274.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/06/2005

Last minor changes:

29/03/2026

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.hydeparkestate.com

Originally the site of the Bishop of London's farm, the name of the square derives from William, Duke of Gloucester, who had a town house nearby. Gloucester Square was laid out as part of George Gutch's 'Final Plan for Tyburnia' of 1838 on the estate lands of the Church Commissioners, in an axis containing Sussex Square, Cambridge and Oxford Squares and Norfolk Crescent (q.q.v.). The south side of Gloucester Square was designed in 1844 by George Ledwell Taylor (1788-1873); the other three sides are now redevelopments of the C20th. The garden enclosure was provided as a private garden for occupiers of the square, and it was managed by a Committee of occupiers, the expenses of maintenance assessed proportionately on each house. The Paddington Estate Trustees had the power to undertake maintenance work in the case of neglect. In 1928 the garden was described 'an attractive open space with a hedge along the sides abutting on roads.'

In 1954 a 90-acre area of land within the Church Commissioners estate containing C19th terraces south of Sussex Gardens was consolidated as the Hyde Park Estate. Nowadays there are roses and flowerbeds, and substantial mature London plane trees; the central mound may correspond to a central feature shown on the 1872 Ordnance Survey Map. It is surrounded by privet hedge and wire mesh fencing. Famous residents include politician and writer Lady Violet Bonham-Carter, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury (1887-1969) who lived at No. 43 and Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), who died at No. 35.

Sources consulted:

Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England London 3: North West' (1991, reprinted 1999), p.685; Halsey, "Some London Squares" MS 1961 (WCA); Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares, 1928; Alan Baxter & Associates, Conservation Area Audit No.6 for City of Westminster, adopted as SPG 13 July 2000

Grid ref:

TQ270810 (527015,181079)

Size in hectares:

0.623

Site ownership:

Church Commissioners

Site management:

Estate Management Scheme; Garden Committee

Date(s):

1844

Designer(s):

George Gutch

Listed structures:

LBII: No.43 and Nos. 44-49 Gloucester Square

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

Yes

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Bayswater

Tree Preservation Order:

Yes

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None

Gloucester Square - Photo: Travis Thompson
Date taken: 08/06/24 14:00

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