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 1810, 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, 
