45-518: 51°30′58″N 0°07′00″W / 51.5161°N 0.1166°W / 51.5161; -0.1166 Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London . It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in developing London", as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner observes. The original plan for "laying out and planting" these fields, drawn by
90-513: A fire in 1684). It remains substantially in its form of c. 1700, although a remodelling in 1930 by Edwin Lutyens gives it a curiously pastiche appearance. As London fashion moved west, Lincoln's Inn Fields was left to rich lawyers who were attracted by its proximity to the Inns of Court . In this way the former Newcastle House became in 1790 the premises of the firm of solicitors Farrer & Co , which
135-521: A hill (in the middle of th'aforesaid park), called Barkhamsted House, built with flint and Tatternell stone, cheqr fashion, wch doth much adorn and sett forth the same, and covered with slatt; consistinge of one large and spacious hall, wainscotted, and well-floored, seeled, and lighted... According to a survey by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in 1910, the house was said to be in "fairly good" condition, although it noted some decay around
180-560: A leading set of commercial barristers ' chambers, known as Essex Court Chambers after their own former premises at 4 Essex Court in the Temple . Essex Court Chambers now occupy five buildings, nos. 24–28 Lincoln's Inn Fields. Other barristers' chambers, including leading family law chambers 1GC Family Law, have since then also set up in Lincoln's Inn Fields, but solicitors' firms still outnumber them there. In Charles Dickens ' novel Bleak House ,
225-473: A nominal annual rent of one red rose, payable yearly on St John the Baptist's Day (24 June). Rather than live in the castle grounds, Sir Edward built for himself a mansion house on top of the hill overlooking the castle, and purloined stonework from the castle ruins to build his house. Berkhamsted Place was a two-storey building with attics above. The plan of the house was in the shape of a letter E, with wings to
270-556: A period of ownership in the 18th century by the earls of Lindsey. Another seventeenth-century survival is now 66 Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was built for Lord Powis and known as Powis House . The charter of the Bank of England was sealed there on 27 July 1694. It was in 1705 acquired by the Duke of Newcastle (whereupon it became known as Newcastle House ) who had it remodelled by Sir John Vanbrugh (following earlier work by Christopher Wren after
315-508: A royal command for him to supervise building work at Berkhamsted Place in 1629 and his account for this survives counter-signed by Thomas Trevor , on behalf of Sir John Trevor , surveyor of works at Windsor Castle . The turbulent events of the English Civil War came to Berkhamsted Place in the 1640s when the Murrays' daughter, Ann Murray, became in a Royalist plot to protect the life of
360-421: A stone oriel window ; by 1910 this was partially blocked and cut away to accommodate a newer brick chimney. The interior of the house had been considerably altered, but a number of 17th-century features had been retained, including a decoratively carved oak fireplace , another fireplace with plaster decoration, a panelled ceiling, and a decorated plaster ceiling with moulded ribs, vine ornaments, and heads. There
405-660: Is still there: their clients include Queen Elizabeth II . The Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre was located in the Fields from 1661 to 1848, when it was demolished. This, originally called the Duke's Theatre, was created by converting Lisle's Tennis Court in 1695. The theatre presented the first paid public performances of Henry Purcell 's Dido and Aeneas in 1700, John Gay 's The Beggar's Opera in January 1728, and George Frideric Handel 's final two operas in 1740 and 1741. Lincoln's Inn Fields
450-495: The Privy Chamber to the prince's mother, Anne of Denmark . It is known that the young Prince Charles, then aged sixteen, paid a visit to the Murrays on 14 August 1616, when they spent an afternoon hunting in the estate, Berkhamsted Park. During the reign of Charles I, it is known that some alterations were made to the house, supervised by Sir David Cunningham of Auchenharvie . One of Cunningham's letters to his cousin describes
495-524: The 18th century. Lincoln's Inn was situated in the county of Middlesex . Up to the 17th century cattle were grazed upon the fields, which were part of the Holborn grassland named Pursefield and belonged to St Giles Hospital. In the report of excavations of 64 Lincoln's Inn Fields, it is noted that one Katherine Smyth, the owner of the White Hart Inn on Drury Lane, leased the land from 1520. It then reverted to
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#1733104331531540-713: The Crown, and was used as pasture and occasionally for an execution. The use of the pastures meant that turnstiles were placed around the square to enable pedestrians to enter without the animals escaping. Shops and other businesses developed along these footpaths, and some of these alleys still exist – the Great and Little Turnstile . Schemes for redevelopment of the fields by Inigo Jones and Charles Cornwallis in 1613 and 1618 were unsuccessful. William Newton gained permission, however, to erect 32 houses in what became known as Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1638 for an annual fee of £5 6s 8d. However,
585-650: The Duke of York (who was later crowned King George V ) and the Prime Minister William Gladstone . The house was subsequently purchased by the Ram family, first occupied by a Mr S.J Ram KC and later in 1937 by his son, Sir Granville Ram, who was First Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury. Berkhamsted Place served well over the centuries as an English country house ; at the time of the Second World War
630-488: The Fields were enclosed within an iron railing, on account of the then Master of the Rolls , Sir Joseph Jekyll , being ridden over by a horse. An alternative version of the story claims that Jekyll was attacked for his support of an Act of Parliament raising the price of gin. From 1750 to 1992, the solicitors Frere Cholmeley were in premises on the north side of Lincoln's Inn Fields, after which their buildings were taken over by
675-584: The King's second surviving son, the young Duke of York (who was later to become King James II of England , from the Parliamentarian forces. King Charles was executed in 1648, and Ann, fearing for her life as a Royalist, fled from Berkhamsted Place. Possession of the house was taken by a Berkhamsted-born soldier in Cromwell's Army , Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Axtell , aged 26, had risen in the ranks and served as Captain of
720-619: The Parliamentary Guard during the execution of King Charles I. Following the Restoration of the English monarchy ; in 1660 he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn for the crime of regicide . Ann Murray was later honoured for her loyalty to the crown when King James II granted her a royal pension. In St Peter's Church, Berkhamsted , a memorial on the north wall of the old chancel commemorates James and John Murray, inscribed "youths of
765-420: The building licence was only given if the central area remained an outdoor space open to the public. Quarry pits were discovered in the excavations at No. 64 (see above), probably for building materials, in particular, gravel. In the fill of one was a fragment of a ' fuddling cup ', a drinking vessel which made it deliberately difficult to drink from without spillage. When originally laid out, Lincoln's Inn Fields
810-419: The drawing-room windows on, also facing south-east, bearing the inscription "1611", possibly marking the alterations made for Prince Henry when he purchased the house. The rest of the south-eastern side was covered in cement, and had several small projections and gables . Much of the original decorative stonework was lost after the 1662 fire but that which was preserved could be seen on the north-western side of
855-404: The future better secured." The oldest building from this early period is Lindsey House, 59–60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was built in 1640 and has been attributed to Inigo Jones . The builder may have been David Cunningham, 1st Baronet of Auchinhervie , a friend of the mason-sculptor Nicholas Stone , who also supervised the rebuilding of Berkhamsted Place for Charles I. It derives its name from
900-521: The hand of Inigo Jones , was said still to be seen in Lord Pembroke's collection at Wilton House in the 19th century, but its location is now unknown. The grounds, which had remained private property, were acquired by London County Council in 1895 and opened to the public by its chairman, Sir John Hutton , the same year. The square is today managed by the London Borough of Camden and forms part of
945-489: The house and over the years its owners welcomed guests such as King Charles I and William Gladstone . The house was one of two Elizabethan mansions in the town, the other being Egerton House on the High Street which was demolished in 1937. Berkhamsted Place survived fire and renovation for over 380 years before it became derelict and was demolished in 1967. Queen Elizabeth I granted the manor of Berkhamsted, along with
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#1733104331531990-438: The house had nine bedrooms, three bathrooms and five upstairs staff bedrooms. By the 1950s, the cost of running and maintaining a fully staffed great house became prohibitive, and like many other staffed residences, the property was sold off to be converted into flats in the 1950s. The surviving 17th-Century wing of the house became the studio of the renowned sculptor Reg Butler , whose 1953 work Unknown Political Prisoner won
1035-405: The house was rebuilt but the two wings which formed the side of the courtyard were never restored. Some of the original Elizabethan decorative stonework was retained on the north wall and can be seen in later photographs of the property. Sayer took ownership of the house shortly after it was rebuilt, and he lived there with his family until his death in 1662. Sayer became well known as a benefactor to
1080-402: The house. Here, there were also two brick buttresses and two projecting octagonal brick chimneys which had been added to the building in the 17th century. At each end of the north side was a plain gable which had a three-light window, stone mullions and a transom , topped with a small stone pediment . The other windows were modern sash windows At the north-eastern end of the house was
1125-629: The intriguing medical collections of John Hunter ). There is a blue plaque marking the home of the surgeon William Marsden at number 65. On the west side the Royal College of Radiologists has premises at 63 Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the London School of Economics and Political Science owns a number of buildings. Aside from the Royal College of Surgeons, the School will then own the entire south side of
1170-598: The lease of Berkhamsted Castle, to her Keeper of the Jewels , Sir Edward Carey (or Cary) , in 1580. Carey was descended from the Carys of Cockington , an ancient Devon family whose lineage went back to Adam de Karry , the first Lord of Castle Karry in Somerset , in the 13th century. Berkhamsted Castle had, by this stage, fallen into disrepair and the lease of a ruined castle was possibly intended as some sort of royal joke; Carey owed
1215-455: The lease to William Atwell; he in turn sold it to John Roper in 1718, whose family stayed in the house for nearly a century. In 1807 the lease was reassigned to John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater . The house was eventually bought outright from the estate of the Prince of Wales by Earl Brownlow . Ownership of the property was then passed to General John Finch and his wife, notable benefactors of
1260-490: The most winning disposition who lived and died at Berkhamsted Place". In 1660 the lease of Berkhamsted was taken on by the Lord Treasurer , Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland ; it was during his residency that a large fire broke out, destroying two-thirds of Berkhamsted Place. Reconstruction was hastily commenced, probably financed by John Sayer, a wealthy local man who was Chief Cook to King Charles II. The central part of
1305-491: The neighbouring building at 57–58, which includes some features designed by Sir John Soane , including a geometric staircase. The London School of Economics and Political Science moved onto the square in 2003, taking the leasehold of 50 Lincoln's Inn Fields, on the corner of Sardinia Street. At the end of 2008, a new £71 million state-of-the-art building housing the LSE's Departments of Law and Management (54 Lincoln's Inn Fields)
1350-465: The north and south-east. The walls were originally faced with 7-inch square stone chequers of flint and Totternhoe stone with brick additions and a tiled roof. An avenue of lime trees led up the hill to the house. A survey of the house in 1650 by parliamentary commissioners, later held by the office of the Duchy of Cornwall , described the house thus: All that capitall mess' mansion-house scituate on
1395-534: The north side of the square features Sir John Soane's Museum , home of the architect, at numbers 12, 13 and 14. On the same side, at number 7, is Thomas More Chambers, led by Geoffrey Cox QC MP. Organisations with premises on the south side of the square include the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Royal College of Surgeons (including the Hunterian Museum , in which are exhibited
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1440-412: The re-opening of Lincoln's Inn Fields with its new railings in 1993, gates have been locked every night at dusk. During the 2008 Muslim holy month of Ramadan , Muslims attended the Fields at sunset to feed the homeless. The nearest London Underground stations are Holborn , Chancery Lane and Temple . List of city squares by size This article lists the 250 largest city squares in
1485-502: The same fields, previously to 1 October in that year, provided that they paid for the public service one year's full value for every such house within one month of its erection; and provided that they should convey the "residue of the said fields" to the Society of Lincoln's Inn, for laying the same into walks for common use and benefit, whereby the annoyances which formerly have been in the same fields will be taken away, and passengers there for
1530-406: The sinister solicitor to the aristocracy, Mr Tulkinghorn, has his offices in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and one of its most dramatic scenes is set there. The description of his building corresponds most closely to Lindsey House. After a spell of being occupied by a firm of patent agents, Lindsey House has become home to the leading civil liberties barristers' chambers, Garden Court Chambers , together with
1575-540: The southern boundary of that borough with the City of Westminster . Lincoln's Inn Fields takes its name from the adjacent Lincoln's Inn , of which the private gardens are separated from the Fields by a perimeter wall and a large gatehouse. The grassed area in the centre of the Fields contains a court for tennis and netball , and a bandstand. It was previously used for corporate events, which are no longer permitted. Cricket and other sports are thought to have been played here in
1620-486: The square. There is a statue by Barry Flanagan , an abstract called Camdonian , in the north-east corner of the square. Also located at 67–69 is the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, the commercial law research and teaching centre of Queen Mary, University of London . During the 1980s Lincoln's Inn Fields attracted many homeless people, who slept there overnight. In 1992, they were cleared out and fences were raised, and since
1665-440: The stonework of the original windows. The house retained part of the original courtyard house built by Sir Edward Carey, c. 1580, and hall on the south-eastern side, built after the 1662 fire, occupied part of the old courtyard between the wings. The front of the house was brick with an embattled parapet and a porch with a Tudor-style four-centred arched doorway . The survey noted that a commemorative stone could be seen below
1710-542: The town of Berkhamsted, and his legacy enabled a row of almshouses to be built for the poor widows of the town; these houses still stand today on the High Street and bear a stone inscription "The gifte of John Sayer, 1664". Around 1690, the Dutch artist Jan Wyck painted A huntsman with a hare and hounds above Berkhamsted , which shows the church, castle, and Berkhamsted Place in the background. The Sayer family remained in residence at Berkhamsted Place until 1716, when they sold
1755-529: The town who were responsible for rebuilding the Thomas Bourne School and supporting the town hall fund. After General Finch, the house was let to the Marquess of Hamilton, James Hamilton . It is also recorded that the house was occupied by Lady Sarah Spencer and Gertrude, Countess of Pembroke . The two ladies entertained many notable establishment figures in their fashionable country residence, including
1800-542: The world in descending order of area. The areas given are as noted in the articles and references provided, but may not be directly comparable. Berkhamsted Place Berkhamsted Place was an English country house which was erected sometime around 1580 in Berkhamsted , Hertfordshire , England . It was built by Sir Edward Carey, the keeper of the Jewels to Queen Elizabeth I from stones removed from Berkhamsted Castle . Several notable residents of Berkhamsted lived in
1845-482: Was also an ornate 17th-century wooden staircase with square newels , turned balusters and moulded handrail. Sir Edward Carey's occupation of Berkhamsted Place was brief; in 1588 he took possession of the Manor of Aldenham and went to live in the town, leasing Berkhamsted Place to his brother, Sir Adolphus Carey. He was the first of many tenants of Berkhamsted Place, passing the tenancy on to his son, Sir Henry Carey , who
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1890-599: Was later to become Lord Falkland and Lord Deputy of Ireland . Various members of the Carey family used the house until 1612, when it was bought by Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales for the sum of £4000. Henry, who had visited Berkhamsted in May 1610, died later in 1612. The house passed to his brother, Charles, who was later crowned King Charles I . Prince Charles leased the property to his tutor Thomas Murray and his wife Mary or Jean Drummond, who had been his nurse and had been Lady of
1935-457: Was opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Since then it has taken ownership of Sardinia House (2009), the former Land Registry building at 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields (2010), 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields (previously the home of Cancer Research), 5 Lincoln's Inn Fields (2016) and Nuffield House (2017), to expand to seven its portfolio of buildings on the square. Aside from Lindsey House and Powis House,
1980-444: Was part of fashionable London. The completion of the houses that surrounded it proceeded at a leisurely pace, interrupted by the English Civil War . In 1659 James Cooper, Robert Henley, and Francis Finch and other owners of "certain parcels of ground in the fields, commonly called Lincoln's Inn Fields", were exempted from all forfeitures and penalties which they might incur in regard to any new buildings they might erect on three sides of
2025-556: Was the site, in 1683, of the public beheading of Lord William Russell , son of the first Duke of Bedford, following his implication in the Rye House Plot for the attempted assassination of King Charles II . The executioner was Jack Ketch , who made such a poor job of it that four axe blows were required before the head was separated from the body; after the first stroke, Russell looked up and said to him "You dog, did I give you 10 guineas to use me so inhumanely?". Sometime after 1735
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