![Charterhouse Square](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Charterhouse_Square.jpg)
Charterhouse Square is a
garden square
A garden square is a type of communal garden in an urban area wholly or substantially surrounded by buildings; commonly, it continues to be applied to public and private parks formed after such a garden becomes accessible to the public at large. T ...
, a
pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be simpl ...
al space, in
Farringdon, in the
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...
, and close to the former
Smithfield Meat Market
Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England.
Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...
. The square is the largest courtyard or yard associated with the
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Farringdon, London, dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square, and lies within the London Borough of Islington. It was originally built ( ...
, mostly formed of Tudor and Stuart architecture restored after the
London Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
. The square adjoins other buildings including a small school. It lies between
Charterhouse Street
Charterhouse Street is a street on the north side of Smithfield in the City of London. The road forms part of the City’s boundary with the neighbouring London Boroughs of Islington and Camden. It connects Charterhouse Square and Holborn Cir ...
, Carthusian Street and the main Charterhouse complex of buildings south of
Clerkenwell Road
Clerkenwell Road is a street in London.
It runs west–east from Gray's Inn Road in the west, to Goswell Road in the east. Its continuation at either end is Theobald's Road and Old Street respectively.
Clerkenwell Road and Theobalds Road we ...
. The complex includes a Chapel, Tudor Great Hall, Great Chamber, the
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
, mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile
, parent = Queen Mary University of London
, president = Lord Mayor of London
, head_label = Warden
, head = Mark Caulfield
, students = 3,410
, undergrad = 2,23 ...
and a 40-resident
almshouse
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
.
The square roughly covers a large 14th-century
plague pit
A plague pit is the informal term used to refer to mass graves in which victims of the Black Death were buried. The term is most often used to describe pits located in Great Britain, but can be applied to any place where bubonic plague victims were ...
, discovered by deep excavations for
Crossrail
Crossrail is a railway construction project mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital from suburbs on the west to east, by connecting two major railway ...
near which, within the main site, the history of the Charterhouse is exhibited in a branch of the
Museum of London
The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall, London, Gui ...
. The southern end of the square forms the southern boundary of the
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...
, where it meets the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
.
History
In 1371 a
Carthusian
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...
monastery was founded by
Walter de Manny on what is now the north side of the square. It was established near a 1348 plague pit, which formed the largest mass grave in London during the
Black Death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
, and tens of thousands of bodies were buried there. The common name for Carthusian monasteries, Charterhouse, was an Anglicisation of ''La Grande Chartreuse'', whose order founded the monastery.
[Charterhouse history]
accessed 19 June 2007
The Charterhouse was
dissolved as a monastery in 1537, and in 1545 was purchased by
Sir Edward (later Lord) North (c. 1496–1564) and transformed into a mansion house. Following North's death, the property was bought by
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, (Kenninghall, Norfolk, 10 March 1536Tower Hill, London, 2 June 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. Although from a family with strong Roman Catholic leanings, he was raised a Protestant. He was a ...
, who was imprisoned there in 1570 after scheming to marry
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. Later,
Thomas Sutton
Thomas Sutton (1532 – 12 December 1611) was an English civil servant and businessman, born in Knaith, Lincolnshire. He is remembered as the founder of the London Charterhouse and of Charterhouse School.
Life
Sutton was the son of an official ...
bought the Charterhouse, and on his death in 1611, endowed a hospital (
almshouse
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
) and school there, which opened in 1614, supporting 80 pensioners (known as 'brothers'). The boys' school coexisted with the home for pensioners until 1872 when
Charterhouse School moved to
Godalming
Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...
in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. Following this, the
Merchant Taylors' School occupied the buildings until 1933. One side is partially occupied by
Charterhouse Square School
Charterhouse Square School is an independent, non-selective, co-educational day school with 250 children aged 3 to 11, situated in the Barbican area of the City of London. It occupies a five-story Victorian building overlooking Charterhouse Squar ...
, a small independent primary school.
In July 2011, English Heritage granted Grade II listed status to the "
setted" road surface in the square, which was laid down in the 1860s.
Administrative History
The west of the square is within the former civil parish of
St Sepulchre Middlesex, with the east in the former
Liberty of Glasshouse Yard, with the former
Liberty of Charterhouse just to the north. These three units were, with nearby
Clerkenwell, part of the former
Finsbury Division
The Finsbury Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the historic county of Middlesex, England. The area of the Finsbury Division is now the core of modern north London. The other divisions were named Holborn, Kensingto ...
. They later became part of the
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury
The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a Metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington.
Formation and boundaries
...
, formed in 1900. In 1965 the Metropolitan Boroughs of Finsbury and
Islington
Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
merged to form the new
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...
.
Plague burials
In 2014 evidence of the large burial pit for plague victims dating from 1348 to 1350, the time of the
Black death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
, was discovered under the square by workers building the
Crossrail
Crossrail is a railway construction project mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital from suburbs on the west to east, by connecting two major railway ...
project. Subsequent analysis of
DNA and
isotopes
Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers (mass numbers) ...
from the skeletons of those buried revealed data about Londoners who fell victim to the pandemic, such as their birthplace, diet, and the fact that there were actually three periods of plague burials, from 1348, 1361 and the early 15th century as outbreaks recurred.
Current uses
Almshouse, chapel, care home and let premises
Charterhouse gives accommodation as an Almshouse to over forty single pensioners aged over sixty many of whom retain the tradition of having been "military men, schoolmasters, clergy, artists, musicians, writers and businessmen", who are in financial, housing and social need but not in significant debt and keen to contribute to the community. Additionally it has the Queen Elizabeth II Infirmary Care Home and private tenants in 9 commercial units, 13 flats and 3 houses. The complex is open for pre-booked guided tours. The chapel can be viewed as part of the annual
Open House London
Open House London is an annual festival celebrating the architecture and urban landscape of London. It is staged by the charity Open City which campaigns to make London a more accessible, equitable and open city. During the Open House festival, ...
event. The site extends far back from the north side of the square in restored buildings and garden courtyards of the old monastery/school.
Campus of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
The Charterhouse Square campus of
Queen Mary University of London
, mottoeng = With united powers
, established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College
, type = Public researc ...
starts at the north-east corner of the square and then spreads out; close to a café and few narrow houses fronting that side, it occupies new buildings and some of the former school buildings. It comprises student accommodation and departments of
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
, mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile
, parent = Queen Mary University of London
, president = Lord Mayor of London
, head_label = Warden
, head = Mark Caulfield
, students = 3,410
, undergrad = 2,23 ...
: Barts Cancer Institute (BCI),
the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine
and the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI).
The BCI and the Centre for Cancer Prevention (CCP) within the Wolfson Institute also make up the
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
Barts Centre of Excellence, together with
Barts and the London NHS Trust.
In 2018, the School received a £6.5 million grant from the Barts Charity to redevelop the campus.
Smaller sites on the square
;Florin Court
Florin Court
Florin Court is an Art Deco / Streamline Moderne residential building on the eastern side of Charterhouse Square in Smithfield, London.
History
Built in 1936 by Guy Morgan and Partners who worked until 1927 for Edwin Lutyens, and two years e ...
, a residential building in the
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style built in 1936 by Guy Morgan and Partners, is on the east side. The building has a concave
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
, roof garden and basement swimming pool.
;Charterhouse Square School
Charterhouse Square School
Charterhouse Square School is an independent, non-selective, co-educational day school with 250 children aged 3 to 11, situated in the Barbican area of the City of London. It occupies a five-story Victorian building overlooking Charterhouse Squar ...
is on the south side of the square; it is a co-educational, independent school for ages 3 to 11, with a small roll of pupils.
Smithfield Market is to the south-west along
Charterhouse Street
Charterhouse Street is a street on the north side of Smithfield in the City of London. The road forms part of the City’s boundary with the neighbouring London Boroughs of Islington and Camden. It connects Charterhouse Square and Holborn Cir ...
.
Transport links
* The nearest station to the square is
Barbican tube station
Barbican is a London Underground station situated near the Barbican Estate, on the edge of the ward of Farringdon Within, in the City of London in Central London. It has been known by various names since its opening in 1865, mostly in reference ...
, 80 metres away on the
A1. The station is served by the
Circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...
,
Hammersmith & City and
Metropolitan line
The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...
s.
* The next nearest,
Farringdon, is served by the same tube lines, as well as
Thameslink
Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying m ...
and the
Elizabeth Line
The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid Urban rail, urban–suburban rail service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London from the Great Western Main Line west of London Paddington statio ...
.
In fiction
Florin Court
Florin Court is an Art Deco / Streamline Moderne residential building on the eastern side of Charterhouse Square in Smithfield, London.
History
Built in 1936 by Guy Morgan and Partners who worked until 1927 for Edwin Lutyens, and two years e ...
was used as the fictional residence of
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...
, ''Whitehaven Mansions'', in the 1980s TV series ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot
''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...
'' based on
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
's crime novels.
''Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989-)'' Screen online
accessed 19 June 2007
See also
* Clerkenwell
* Barbican Estate
Notes and references
;References
;Notes
External links
LondonTown.com information
The Charterhouse Square School website
Charterhouse Square campus at Queen Mary University of London
{{Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, state=collapsed
History of the City of London
Squares in the London Borough of Islington
Smithfield, London
Odonyms referring to a building