Bedford Square

Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of London built in the Georgian architectural style. The brick terraces are uniform on all four sides, with wrought-iron balconies and doors adorned with Coade stone decorations.

The square was built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper-class residential area and helped establish a new design approach for London garden squares. The coordinated layout of all buildings set a standard in the late 18th century for later urban squares.

The name recalls the Russell family, who held the title of Dukes of Bedford and developed much of Bloomsbury during the 18th century. Number 47 once housed Bedford College, the first higher education institution for women in Britain, which later moved to other locations.

The central garden remains closed to regular visitors but opens its gates during the Open Garden Squares Weekend in June. The surrounding streets are freely accessible and allow viewing the facades and doors from the outside.

Most doors display elaborate decorations made from Coade stone, an artificial material from the late 18th century that is no longer produced today. This type of stone imitated expensive natural stone and was considered a modern solution for decorative facade design.