238 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



plants, and making quite a bright show in summer, in 

 contrast to the sombre grey walls. 



Away in the East End there are numbers of other 

 gloomy little squares whose gardens are the playground 

 of the neighbourhood. They are useful spaces of air 

 and light, and the few trees and low houses surrounding 

 them give a little ventilation in some of the very crowded 

 districts. They are all much alike ; in some more care 

 has been taken in the planting and selection of the trees 

 than in others. There is De Beauvoir Square, Dalston ; 

 Arbour Square, off the Commercial Road ; York Square, 

 Stepney ; Wellclose, near the Mint and London Docks ; 

 Trafalgar Square, Mile End ; and many others dotted 

 about among the dismal streets. Turning to the 

 West End again, the largest of the square spaces is 

 Vincent Square, which forms the playground of the 

 Westminster boys. It derives its name from Dr. Vincent, 

 the head-master who was chiefly instrumental in ob- 

 taining it for the use of the boys. It was first marked 

 out in 1 8 10, and enclosed by railings in 1842. The 

 10 acres of ground were part of Tothill Fields, and the 

 site was a burial-place in the time of the Great Plague. 



There is nothing of historical interest in the Squares 

 of Belgravia. The ground covered by Belgrave Square 

 was known as Five Fields, which were so swampy that 

 no one had attempted to build on them. It was the 

 celebrated builder, Thomas Cubitt, who in 1825 was 

 able by draining, and removing clay, which he used for 

 bricks, to reach a solid foundation, and in a few years 

 had built Belgrave and Eaton Squares and the streets 

 adjoining. The site of the centre of Belgrave Square 

 was then a market-garden. Ebury Square, the garden 

 of which is open to the public, and tastefully laid out, 



