Leicester Square, UK (London) Edition
N 51° 30.640 W 000° 07.773
30U E 699180 N 5710522
Leicester Square is one of the Yellow properties on the UK (London) board. It is the equivalent of the US Atlantic Avenue.
Waymark Code: WM4ZVK
Location: United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/19/2008
Views: 30
The Square is named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, who purchased four acres in St. Martin's Field in 1630. He had by 1635 built himself a large house called Leicester House at the northern end. The area in front of the house was then enclosed which depriving inhabitants of St. Martin's Parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King Charles I, and he appointed three members of the Privy Council to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land (thereafter known as Leicester Field and later as Leicester Square) open for the parishioners. The area was developed in the 1670s. It was initially fashionable and Leicester House was once residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales. By the late 18th century the Square was no longer a fashionable address. Leicester House became home of a museum of natural curiosities called the Holophusikon in the 1780s and was demolished about 1791. By the 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue, with many amusements peculiar to the era including Wyld's Globe which was built for the great exhibition and housed a giant scale map of the Earth . Several hotels grew up around the square making it popular with visitors to London. A large theatre "The Alhambra" was built in 1854 to be joined in 1884 by the Empire Theatre of Varieties. The square remains the heart of the West End entertainment district today.
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