Lorrimore Square is a

garden square A garden square is a type of communal garden in an urban area wholly or substantially surrounded by buildings; commonly, it continues to be applied to public and private parks formed after such a garden becomes accessible to the public at large. ...

in the far south-west of

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

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, centred 500 metres south-east of

Kennington tube station Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...

. It is divided into four sections, a church with integrated drop-in centre; a small enclosed garden without paths; a public playground/gardens; and a basketball/netball pitch. One side of the square is

classical architecture Classical architecture typically refers to architecture consciously derived from the principles of Ancient Greek architecture, Greek and Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or more specifically, from ''De archit ...

of four storeys, the other two sides — the fourth side marks the end of units on another road — are late 20th century rows of apartments of slightly lower height.

Etymology

A 1681 map of

Walworth Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the ...

made for Dean and Chapter of

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

shows a wider common called "Lattam-more" (or Lower Moor); Lorrimore is a corruption of Lower Moor.

London Blitz

Lorrimore Square was hit by

incendiary bomb Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires. They may destroy structures or sensitive equipment using fire, and sometimes operate as anti-personnel weaponry. Incendiarie ...

s during the

London Blitz London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(in 1940) causing the first form of the church to burn down except for the steeple.

Post war

The current church was built in 1959–60. About half of the square is a public garden. The rest, from near its centre to the north-east, centre edge of the square — the square is laid out obliquely to the cardinal points of the compass — is St Paul's Church, flanked by a basketball/netball pitch accessible by local clubs and a small enclosed tree-studded garden with flowering shrubs. Together these internal contents, net of surrounding roads and buildings, occupy ; the gross area (square development's estate), including facing rows of flats and a Victorian terrace with their yards behind is . One side of the square is

of four storeys set behind black railings in the same way as most of the square, with basement gardens. The other two sides — the fourth side marks the end of units and forms another road which is unlike the rest of the square a motor vehicles thoroughfare, Chapter Road — are late 20th century rows of apartments of similar height.

Location

The square is within the SE17 postcode district. The nearest

tube station The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...

, 500 m northwest, much closer than any other stations. Pasley Park has a brief border with the north-west corner of the roads forming the square (not with the square itself) along that side which is named differently, as a continuous road, Chapter Road.

Conservation and amenity improvements

The eastern side of Lorrimore Square, Chapter Road is in the Sutherland Square

Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

Southwark Council Southwark London Borough Council, also known as Southwark Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour major ...

, the local council, regulates any planning and development that can take place in this area. Along with smaller communal grounds in Lorrimore Road, Carter Street, Fleming Cottages, Churchwarden House, Greig Terrace and Forsyth Gardens, the square is the subject of the Surrey Gardens Tenants' and Residents' Association who, as leaseholders, hold most of the legal responsibilities for the park in Lorrimore Square.

References

External links

LondonTown.com information
{{coord , 51, 29, 5, N, 0, 6, 4, W, type:landmark_region:GB-SWK, display=title Squares in the London Borough of Southwark Streets in the London Borough of Southwark