Lincoln's Inn Fields

Lincoln’s Inn Fields stands in Holborn, a broad rectangle of grass and paths in central London. It is the largest public square in the city, laid out in the 1630s by William Newton, a builder who shaped early London. The original plan was drawn by Inigo Jones, though its present whereabouts are unknown. The square was once private pasture, grazed by cattle until the 17th century. Turnstiles once controlled entry, and some of these narrow alleys survive as Great and Little Turnstile. The square has long been linked to the law. In 1694 the charter of the Bank of England was sealed at Powis House, later Newcastle House. By the 18th century it became home to barristers and solicitors, drawn by its proximity to the Inns of Court. Farrer & Co, solicitors to the Queen, have occupied Newcastle House since 1790. The Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre once staged early performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Handel’s final operas. In 1683 Lord William Russell was beheaded here after the Rye House Plot. Today the grass holds tennis and netball courts beside a bandstand. The surrounding buildings include Lindsey House, built in 1640 and attributed to Inigo Jones, now home to Garden Court Chambers. The London School of Economics occupies several buildings on the square, including a modern block opened by the Queen. The iron railings that once enclosed the Fields recall an incident involving Sir Joseph Jekyll. From Dickens’ Bleak House to modern chambers, the square remains a place where law and history meet.