16 Facts About Leicester Square

1.

Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England.

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2.

Leicester Square was originally a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and the artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds.

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3.

Leicester Square has always had a park in its centre, which was originally Common land.

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4.

Leicester Square has been used as name for the immediate surrounding area, roughly corresponding with Coventry Street, Cranbourn Street, Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Street.

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5.

Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land open for the parishioners.

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6.

The 7th Earl of Leicester Square took ownership of the property in 1728 and it was briefly the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales from 1742 until Leicester Square's death the following year.

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7.

Leicester Square House was intermittently inhabited during the mid-18th century, and was finally sold to the naturalist Ashton Lever in 1775.

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8.

Leicester Square House became home of a museum of natural curiosities called the Holophusikon in the 1780s.

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9.

Leicester Square was turned into a de facto dump, earning it the nickname of "Fester Square".

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10.

In 2010, a major redevelopment of Leicester Square took place as part of a Great Outdoors scheme proposed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

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11.

The Earl of Leicester was obliged to preserve these grounds, which were separated from the rest of the square with railings.

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12.

Leicester Square is the centre of London's cinema land, and one of the signs marking the Square bears the legend "Theatreland".

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13.

The popularity of the booth has given rise to other booths and stores around the Leicester Square that advertise half-price tickets for West End shows.

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14.

Leicester Square is one of several places in the West End that puts on events relating to the Chinese New Year.

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15.

The electrical cables to the substation are in a large tunnel ending at Leicester Square, and originating in Wimbledon, at Plough Lane, behind the former Wimbledon F C football ground, before which the cables are above ground.

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16.

Leicester Square is one of a group of three on the British Monopoly board along with Coventry Street and Piccadilly.

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