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| Leicester Square (pronounced "Lester Square") is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west. The park at the centre of the Square is bound by Cranbourn Street, to the north; Leicester Street, to the east; Irving Street, to the south; and a section of road designated simply as Leicester Square, to the west. It is within the City of Westminster, and about equal distances (about 400 yards or 300 metres) north of Trafalgar Square, east of Piccadilly Circus, west of Covent Garden, and south of Cambridge Circus.
The Square is named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, who purchased four acres (1.6 hectares) of land in St. Martin's Field in 1630; by 1635, he had built himself a large house, known as Leicester House, at the northern end of it. The area in front of the house was then enclosed, thus depriving the inhabitants of St. Martin's Parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King Charles I for assistance, and he appointed three members of the Privy Council to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land (which thereafter was known as Leicester Field and later as Leicester Square) open for use by the parishioners.
The area was developed in the 1670s. It was initially a fashionable area, and Leicester House was once the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales; but, by the later part of the 18th century, the Square was no longer a smart address and began to serve as a venue for popular entertainments. Leicester House became the home of a museum of natural curiosities called the Holophusikon in the 1780s and was demolished about 1791–1792. In 1848, Leicester Square was the subject of the famous land-law case of Tulk vs. Moxhay. The plot's previous owner had agreed upon a covenant not to erect buildings after his purchase. However, the law would not allow purchasers who were not 'privy' to the initial contract to be bound by any subsequent promises. The leading judge, Lord Cottenham, decided that future owners of land could be bound by promises to abstain from activity. Otherwise, a buyer could simply sell land to himself again to undermine an initial promise. Hence, the Leicester Square known today was saved from development. By the 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue, and also housed several hotels. It was popular with overseas residents and visitors to London. A large theatre, the Alhambra, built in 1854, dominated the site. The square remains the heart of the West End entertainment district even today. It is also the place that Euan Blair son of British Prime Minister Tony Blair was found drunk in 2000, causing his father some embarrassment.
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| Leicester Square in 1750, looking north. | ||
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| Leicester Square in 1880, looking north east. | ||
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