Berkeley Square - Definition and Overview

Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London in the City of Westminster, originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent. It is named after the noble Gloucestershire family of the same name whose London home, Berkeley House, had stood nearby until 1733.

The square features a statue by Alexander Munro, a Pre-Raphaelite sculptor, made in 1858. The surrounding London Plane trees are among the oldest in central London, planted in 1789.

The buildings around the square include several by other notable architects, including Robert Adam, who designed Lansdowne House (since 1935 home of the Lansdowne Club) in the south-west corner of the square.

Residents of Berkeley Square have included:

• George Canning, UK Prime Minister (1827) - at no. 50
• Winston Churchill lived at no.48 as a child
• Robert Clive of India - bought no. 45 in 1761 and committed suicide there in 1774.
• see also Lansdowne House.

Berkeley Square is also:

• Berkeley Square (TV miniseries) set in London
• Berkeley Square (play), written by John L. Balderston
• Berkeley Square (movie), based on the Balderston play
• A 1980s punk rock bar in Berkeley, California
• The song, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square