Redcliffe Square is a

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

located in the Brompton area of the

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the ...

, southwest of central

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, (postcode SW10). Redcliffe Square Gardens are located in the square. The development was part of the vast Gunter estate, during 1864–1878.'The Boltons and Redcliffe Square area: The Gunter estate, 1864-78', in Survey of London: Volume 41, Brompton, ed. F H W Sheppard (London, 1983), pp. 211-228. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol41/pp211-228 ccessed 18 May 2020

Redcliffe Gardens Redcliffe Gardens is a primary road, the A3220 located in the Chelsea area of southwest central London, England (postcode SW10). It was a development dated from 1864 to 1878. Redcliffe Gardens runs southeast through Redcliffe Square as par ...

runs northwest–southeast through the square. To the east is

The Boltons The Boltons is a street and garden square of lens shape in the Brompton district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England (postcode SW10). The opposing sides of the street face the communal gardens (as two non-semicircul ...

. To the southwest is

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Estab ...

. The square is home to St Luke's Church, Redcliffe Gardens and Redcliffe School's early years and pre-prep school.

History

Redcliffe Square was built as part of the Gunter estate in the 1860s. The area was dominated by farmland prior to building development and Redcliffe Gardens used to be one of the old routes through the area, called Walnut Tree Walk, until the estate was laid out. Robert Gunter initiated most of the development of the estate, and much of the design was by his surveyor George Godwin working with his brother Henry. The name Redcliffe was chosen due to Godwin's connections with

St Mary Redcliffe St Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of Bristol, England. The church is a short walk from Bristol Temple Meads station. The church building was constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and it ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. This square was given to the Borough for free in 1949, providing its character was maintained. On 18 December 1966, the socialite and Guinness heir

Tara Browne Tara Browne (4 March 1945 – 18 December 1966) was a London-based Irish socialite and heir to the Guinness fortune. His December 1966 death in a car crash was an inspiration for the Beatles' song " A Day in the Life". Early life Browne was ...

crashed his car at the junction of Redcliffe Square and Redcliffe Gardens after driving through a red traffic light. The incident was later immortalised in the Beatles' song A Day in the Life.

References

External links

Things To Do In Kensington

Redcliffe Square Redcliffe Square is a town square located in the Brompton area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, southwest of central London, (postcode SW10). Redcliffe Square Gardens are located in the square. The development was part of the ...

Squares in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Kensington 1860s establishments in England Garden squares in London {{London-geo-stub