Soho Square

Soho Square is a small garden square in the heart of Soho, London. It stands on ground once part of the Howard de Walden Estate, which still owns the central garden and many buildings. The square was laid out in the late 17th century and originally called King Square after Charles II. A statue of the king has stood in the square, with one long break, since 1661. Thirty buildings line the square, and sixteen of them are listed for their historic importance. The garden is open to the public and hosts free open-air concerts in summer. The square’s history includes figures such as the naturalist Joseph Banks, who lived at No. 32 in the 1770s and turned his home into a scientific salon. The notorious White House brothel operated at No. 21 between 1778 and 1836. The statue of Charles II was removed in 1875 for safekeeping by Crosse & Blackwell and later returned in 1938. Artists, writers and musicians have lived or worked here, including composer Benjamin Frankel and animation studio Richard Williams Animation. The House of St Barnabas, a members’ club, now occupies a building on the square and supports local homelessness projects. Visitors find a quiet garden with benches surrounded by tall plane trees and iron railings. At the centre stands a small mock market cross built in 1926 to hide an electricity substation. The square’s buildings include the French Protestant Church by Aston Webb and Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, which runs social outreach programmes. The garden also hides a Second World War air raid shelter built beneath it. The mix of historic statues, listed architecture and creative organisations gives the square its distinctive character.