51°31′28″N 0°07′18″W / 51.5244°N 0.1218°W / 51.5244; -0.1218
98-855: Brunswick Square is a 3-acre (1.2 ha) public garden and ancillary streets along two of its sides in Bloomsbury , in the London Borough of Camden . It is overlooked by the School of Pharmacy and the Foundling Museum to the north; the Brunswick Centre to the west; and International Hall (a hall of residence of the University of London ) to the south. East is an enclosed area of playgrounds with further trees, Coram's Fields , associated with charity Coram Family which
196-608: A "teaching university" for London. UCL and KCL considered separating from the university to form a separate university, variously known as the Albert University, Gresham University and Westminster University. Following two royal commissions the University of London Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 62) was passed, reforming the university and giving it a federal structure with responsibility for monitoring course content and academic standards within its institutions. This
294-859: A cafe and a restaurant. Since 1998, the British Library has been located in a purpose-built building just outside the northern edge of Bloomsbury, in Euston Road. Also in Bloomsbury is the Foundling Museum, close to Brunswick Square, which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital opened by Thomas Coram for unwanted children in Georgian London. The hospital, now demolished except for the Georgian colonnade ,
392-518: A character as a University." This unusual remit may have been inspired by the fact that William Beveridge , having just become director of LSE, upon asking a taxi driver to take him to the University of London was met with the response "Oh, you mean the place near the Royal School of Needlework ". Holden responded by designing Senate House , the current headquarters of the university, and at
490-525: A considerable central London estate of 12 hectares of freehold land in Bloomsbury , near Russell Square tube station . Some of the university's colleges have their main buildings on the estate. The Bloomsbury Campus also contains eight Halls of Residence and Senate House , which houses Senate House Library , the chancellor's official residence and previously housed the School of Slavonic and East European Studies , now part of University College London (UCL) and housed in its own new building. Almost all of
588-528: A general degree awarding body for the schools was discussed in the medical press and in evidence taken by the Select Committee on Medical Education. However, the blocking of a bill to open up Oxford and Cambridge degrees to dissenters led to renewed pressure on the Government to grant degree awarding powers to an institution that would not apply religious tests, particularly as the degrees of
686-536: A group of British intellectuals which included author Virginia Woolf , biographer Lytton Strachey , and economist John Maynard Keynes . Bloomsbury began to be developed in the 17th century under the Earls of Southampton , but it was primarily in the 19th century, under the Duke of Bedford , that the district was planned and built as an affluent Regency era residential area by famed developer James Burton . The district
784-623: A merger, raising the question of the future of the University of London and the smaller colleges within it. Subsequently, considerable opposition from academic staff of both UCL and Imperial led to a rejection of the merger. Despite this failure, the trend of decentralising power continued. A significant development in this process was the closing down of the Convocation of all the university's alumni in October 2003; this recognised that individual college alumni associations were now increasingly
882-413: A new Metropolitan Borough of Holborn . The traditional boundaries of St Giles and Bloomsbury were used for wards in the new borough, though these were subject to minor rationalisations to reflect the modern street pattern rather than the historic basis of the older streets and pre-urban field boundaries. The combined civil parish continued to operate, in parallel, for a considerable time after. In 1965
980-507: A new charter opened up the examinations to everyone, effectively abolishing the weak link between the university and the colleges. This led the Earl of Kimberley , a member of the university's senate, to tell the House of Lords in 1888 "that there were no Colleges affiliated to the University of London, though there were some many years ago". The reforms of 1858 also incorporated the graduates of
1078-506: A number of residential and catering units further afield and the premises of the University of London Institute in Paris , which offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in French and historical studies. The university's board of trustees, the governing and executive body of the university, comprises eleven appointed independent persons – all of whom are non-executive; the vice-chancellor,
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#17327719048481176-654: A rise in the demolition of historic fabric, and the construction of tall and harmful development. Between 2015 and 2020 the local authority recommended approval for a total of five major developments judged to be harmful by the BCAAC, with the Greater London Authority approving one. The BCAAC were only successful in defeating one of those developments. As a result, Victorian buildings and even some of Bloomsbury's famous Georgian terraces have been demolished in recent years. This has led to sharp criticism of
1274-575: A teaching university in London had resulted in the university's reconstitution as a federal institution, went even further than becoming schools of the university and were actually merged into it. UCL's merger, under the University College London (Transfer) Act 1905 ( 5 Edw. 7 . c. xci), happened in 1907. The charter of 1836 was surrendered and all of UCL's property became the University of London's. King's College followed in 1910 under
1372-535: A vibrant area to visit, and a profitable place in which to do business". Several London railway stations serve Bloomsbury. There are three London Underground stations in Bloomsbury: King's Cross St. Pancras station offers step-free access to all lines, whilst Euston Square offers step-free access to the westbound platform. Other stations nearby include: Euston , Warren Street , Goodge Street , Tottenham Court Road , Holborn and Chancery Lane . There
1470-467: Is a federal public research university located in London , England , United Kingdom . The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree-awarding examination board for students holding certificates from University College London , King's College London and "other such institutions, corporate or unincorporated, as shall be established for the purpose of Education, whether within
1568-680: Is a district in the West End of London , part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural , intellectual, and educational institutions . Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum , the largest museum in the United Kingdom, and several educational institutions, including University College London and a number of other colleges and institutes of
1666-744: Is a disused station in Bloomsbury on the Piccadilly line at the British Museum . There are also three National Rail stations to the north of Bloomsbury: Eurostar services to France , Brussels and the Netherlands begin in London at St Pancras. Several bus stops can be found in Bloomsbury. All buses passing through Bloomsbury call at bus stops on Russell Square , Gower Street or Tottenham Court Road . Several key London destinations can be reached from Bloomsbury directly, including: Camden Town , Greenwich , Hampstead Heath , Piccadilly Circus , Victoria , and Waterloo . Euston bus station
1764-401: Is a matching square to the east covering three acres. Between the two, east of this square, is an enclosed area of playgrounds with further trees, Coram's Fields (associated with charity Coram Family ) which occupies just over seven acres. Russell Square is the nearest tube station to the south-west. Brunswick Square and Mecklenburgh Square and Coram's Fields are jointly listed Grade II on
1862-700: Is also home to London Contemporary Dance School , Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , a branch of University of Law, Architectural Association School of Architecture , and the London campuses of several American colleges including Arcadia University , University of California , University of Delaware , Florida State University , Syracuse University , New York University , and Hult International Business School . The growing private tutoring sector in Bloomsbury includes various tutoring businesses such as Bloomsbury International (for English language), Bloomsbury Law Tutors (for law education), Skygate Tutors, and Topmark Tutors Centre. The British Museum , which first opened to
1960-651: Is home to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (formerly the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases). Bloomsbury is also the location of University College Hospital , which re-opened in 2005 in new buildings on Euston Road, built under the government's private finance initiative (PFI). The Eastman Dental Hospital is located on Gray's Inn Road close to the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital administered by
2058-535: Is home to the federal University of London's central administrative centre and library, Senate House, as well as many of its independent members institutions including Birkbeck College, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, School of Oriental and African Studies, School of Advanced Study, Royal Veterinary College, and University College London (which has now absorbed the formerly separate School of Eastern European and Slavonic Studies, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Education academic institutions). Bloomsbury
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#17327719048482156-445: Is just over double its size; next to that area Brunswick Square is mirrored, symmetrically by Mecklenburgh Square , likewise of 3 acres including roads. The squares are named after contemporary Queen consorts (the wife of George III and the wife of his eldest son George IV ). Bloomsbury is notable for its garden squares, literary connections, and numerous cultural, educational and health care institutions. Mecklenburgh Square
2254-450: Is known for its numerous garden squares , including Bloomsbury Square , Russell Square and Bedford Square . Bloomsbury's built heritage is currently protected by the designation of a conservation area and a locally based conservation committee. Despite this, there is increasing concern about a trend towards larger and less sensitive development, and the associated demolition of Victorian and Georgian buildings. Bloomsbury (including
2352-591: Is on 15-20 Phoenix Place. Bloomsbury contains several notable churches: Bloomsbury contains some of London's finest parks and buildings, and is particularly known for its formal squares. These include: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (formerly the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital) are both located on Great Ormond Street, off Queen Square, which itself
2450-401: Is sometimes taken to be in the region of Southampton Row or further east on Grays Inn Road. The southern extent is taken to approximates to High Holborn or the thoroughfare formed by New Oxford Street , Bloomsbury Way and Theobalds Road. On the west side, the traditional and various informal definitions of the area are all based on the ancient Tottenham Court Road . The differences between
2548-594: Is to the north of Bloomsbury. One of the 13 surviving taxi drivers' shelters in London, where drivers can stop for a meal and a drink, is in Russell Square. Bloomsbury's road network links the district to several destinations across London. Key routes nearby include: Gower Street , which runs through the area on a north–south axis, has been two-way since Sunday 28 February 2021. University of London The University of London ( UoL ; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals )
2646-606: Is today a playground and outdoor sports field for children, called Coram's Fields . It is also home to a small number of sheep. The nearby Lamb's Conduit Street is a pleasant thoroughfare with shops, cafes and restaurants. The Dickens Museum is in Doughty Street . The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and the Grant Museum of Zoology are at University College London in Gower Street. The Postal Museum
2744-581: The Dissolution of the Monasteries . The area was laid out mainly in the 18th century, largely by Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford , who built Bloomsbury Market, which opened in 1730. His younger brother, John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford , would have built a circus here but he died in 1771, leaving his wife to continue development of the area. She commissioned the construction of Bedford Square and of Gower Street . The major development of
2842-647: The Great Beer Flood ) was a disaster that occurred in October 1814, when a large vat of porter at the Horse Shoe Brewery , just west of Dyott Street, burst open, releasing a 15-foot wave of beer onto the surrounding streets, killing eight people. All of the geographic area of Bloomsbury is covered by the Bloomsbury Conservation Area, an historic designation designed to limit new development, and ensure that changes to
2940-594: The King's College London (Transfer) Act 1908 ( 8 Edw. 7 . c. xxxix). This was a slightly more complicated case, as the theological department of the college (founded in 1846) did not merge into the university but maintained a separate legal existence under King's College's 1829 charter. The expansion of the university's role meant that the Burlington Garden premises were insufficient, and in March 1900 it moved to
3038-497: The London School of Economics . Regent's Park College , which had affiliated in 1841, became an official divinity school of the university in 1901 (the new statutes having given London the right to award degrees in theology) and Richmond (Theological) College followed as a divinity school of the university in 1902; Goldsmiths College joined in 1904; Imperial College was founded in 1907; Queen Mary College joined in 1915;
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3136-686: The Metropolis Management Act 1855 . This body managed certain infrastructure functions, while the civil parish continued with its responsibilities until the abolishment of the Poor Law in 1930; however it was not formally abolished until the creation of Greater London in 1965. In 1900 the area of the St Giles District (Metropolis) merged with Holborn District (Metropolis) (excluding those parts of Finsbury Division which had been temporarily attached to Holborn) to form
3234-528: The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn merged with St Pancras and Hampstead to form the new London Borough of Camden . The formal historic boundaries of the combined parish of St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury (as adjusted in some places to reflect the modern street pattern) include Tottenham Court Road to the west, Torrington Place (formerly known, in part, as Francis Street) to
3332-507: The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . What is now the square (apart from the longer of the two roads bounding it and sharing in its name which is older) including the nearer part of buildings facing it was originally part of the grounds of the Foundling Hospital . It was planned to be leased for housebuilding, along with Mecklenburgh Square , to raise funds for the hospital in 1790. Brunswick Square, named after Caroline of Brunswick ,
3430-520: The Royal Albert Hall were replaced by individual ceremonies at the colleges. One of the largest shifts in power of this period came in 1993, when HEFCE (now the Office for Students, OfS ) switched from funding the University of London, which then allocated money to the colleges, to funding the colleges directly and them paying a contribution to the university. There was also a tendency in
3528-612: The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust . One of the largest building in the area is the Brutalist Brunswick Centre a residential building with a shopping centre at ground floor. Bloomsbury is in the parliamentary constituency of Holborn and St Pancras . The western half of the district comprises Bloomsbury ward , which elects three councillors to Camden Borough Council . In February 2010, businesses were balloted on an expansion of
3626-607: The School of Advanced Study is housed in Senate House and neighbouring Stewart House. The university also owns many of the squares that formed part of the Bedford Estate, including Gordon Square , Tavistock Square , Torrington Square and Woburn Square , as well as several properties outside Bloomsbury, with many of the university's colleges and institutes occupying their own estates across London: The university also has several properties outside London, including
3724-490: The School of Oriental and African Studies was founded in 1916; and Birkbeck College , which was founded in 1823, joined in 1920. The previous provision for colleges outside London was not abandoned on federation, instead London offered two routes to degrees: "internal" degrees offered by schools of the university and "external" degrees offered at other colleges (now the University of London flexible and distance learning programmes ). UCL and King's College, whose campaign for
3822-649: The Second World War , the colleges of the university (with the exception of Birkbeck) and their students left London for safer parts of the UK, while Senate House was used by the Ministry of Information , with its roof becoming an observation point for the Royal Observer Corps . Though the building was hit by bombs several times, it emerged from the war largely unscathed; rumour at the time had it that
3920-788: The University of London as well as its central headquarters, the New College of the Humanities , the University of Law , the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , the British Medical Association and many others. Bloomsbury is an intellectual and literary hub for London, as home of world-known Bloomsbury Publishing , publishers of the Harry Potter series, and namesake of the Bloomsbury Group ,
4018-413: The University of London Press . All universities are different, but some are more different than others. The University of London is the most different of them all. University College London (UCL) was founded under the name "London University" (but without recognition by the state) in 1826 as a secular alternative to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge , which limited their degrees to members of
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4116-437: The established Church of England . As a result of the controversy surrounding UCL's establishment, King's College London was founded as an Anglican college by royal charter in 1829. In 1830, UCL applied for a royal charter as a university which would allow it to confer degrees. This was rejected, but renewed in 1834. In response to this, opposition to "exclusive" rights grew among the London medical schools. The idea of
4214-414: The largest university by number of students in the United Kingdom. For most practical purposes, ranging from admissions to funding, the member institutions operate on an independent basis, with many awarding their own degrees whilst remaining in the federal university. Under the 2018 act, member institutions ceased to be termed colleges and gained the right to seek university status without having to leave
4312-450: The relief of the poor . In 1731 a small new independent parish of Bloomsbury was created, based on a small area round Bloomsbury Square . In 1774 these parishes recombined, for civil purposes, to form the parish of St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury – which had the same boundaries as the initial parish of St Giles . The area of the combined civil parish was used for the St Giles District (Metropolis) , established under
4410-699: The Collegiate Council and board of trustees, responsible for matters of academic policy. The Collegiate Council is made up of the heads of member institutions of the university. The 12 institutes, or Listed Bodies , within the University of London offer courses leading to degrees that are both examined and awarded by the University of London. Additionally, twelve universities in England, several in Canada and many in other Commonwealth countries (notably in East Africa) began life as associate colleges of
4508-658: The Imperial Institute in South Kensington . However, its continued rapid expansion meant that it had outgrown its new premises by the 1920s, requiring yet another move. A large parcel of land in Bloomsbury near the British Museum was acquired from the Duke of Bedford and Charles Holden was appointed architect with the instruction to create a building "not to suggest a passing fashion inappropriate to buildings which will house an institution of so permanent
4606-697: The InHolborn Business Improvement District (BID) to include the southern part of Bloomsbury. Only businesses with a rateable value in excess of £60,000 could vote as only these would pay the BID levy. This expansion of the BID into Bloomsbury was supported by Camden Council. The proposal was passed and part of Bloomsbury was brought within the InHolborn BID. Controversy was raised during this BID renewal when InHolborn proposed collecting Bloomsbury, St Giles and Holborn under
4704-550: The London University College, or at any similar institution which his Majesty might please hereafter to name". Following the issuing of its charter on 28 November 1836, the new University of London started drawing up regulations for degrees in March 1837. The death of William IV in June, however, resulted in a problem – the charter had been granted "during our Royal will and pleasure", meaning it
4802-639: The Metropolis or elsewhere within our United Kingdom". It is one of three institutions to have advertised themselves as the third-oldest university in England . It moved to a federal structure with constituent colleges in 1900. It is now incorporated by its fourth (1863) royal charter and governed by the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii). The university consists of 17 member institutions and three central academic bodies. The university has around 48,000 distance learning external students and around 219,410 campus-based internal students , making it
4900-613: The Russell family following the marriage of William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683) (third son of William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford ) to Rachel Wriothesley , heiress of Bloomsbury, younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton (1607–1667). Rachel's son and heir was Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1680–1711), of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, whose family also owned Covent Garden , south of Bloomsbury, acquired by them at
4998-693: The Second World War. As of 2004 the London University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), drawn from 52 universities and colleges in the London area (not just the University of London), was the largest UOTC in the country, with about 400 officer cadets. It has been based at Yeomanry House in Handel Street, London since 1992. In 2011, Canterbury Company was founded to recruit officer cadets from universities in Kent. During
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#17327719048485096-830: The UCL School of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Life Sciences. This was followed on 2 December 2014 by the Institute of Education also merging with UCL, becoming the UCL Institute of Education. Since 2010, the university has been outsourcing support services such as cleaning and portering. This has prompted industrial action by the largely Latin American workforce under the "3Cosas" campaign (the 3Cosas – 3 things – being sick pay , holiday pay , and pensions for outsourced workers on parity with staff employed directly by
5194-450: The University of London Act 2018 (c. iii), a member institution is defined as "an educational, academic or research institution which is a constituent member of the University and has for the time being―(a) the status of a college under the statutes; or (b) the status of a university". As of February 2019, 12 of the colleges of the university have said they are seeking university status. This does not affect their status as member institution of
5292-456: The area, including traffic circulation changes, and its objections carry formal planning weight through the local authority's constitution. Bloomsbury contains one of the highest proportions of listed buildings and monuments per square metre of any conservation area, including many of the UK's most iconic buildings, such as the British Museum. However its strategic location in the centre of London and associated high development pressures has seen
5390-472: The authority to grant degrees in theology, considered the senior faculty in the other three English universities. In medicine, the university was given the right to determine which medical schools provided sufficient medical training. In arts and law, by contrast, it would examine students from UCL, King's College, or any other institution granted a royal warrant, effectively giving the government control of which institutions could submit students for examination by
5488-525: The built environment preserve and enhance its special character. This conservation area is one of the oldest and most significant in the UK, having been designated in 1968, less than a year after conservation areas were promulgated in the Civic Amenities Act 1967. The Bloomsbury Conservation Area is almost unique in the UK in that it also has a conservation area advisory committee , an expert committee of architects, planners, lawyers, and other community members that also live and work in Bloomsbury. This group
5586-401: The central authorities in Senate House to the individual colleges. In the same period, UCL and King's College regained their legal independence via acts of parliament and the issuing of new royal charters. UCL was reincorporated in 1977, while King's College's new charter in 1980 reunited the main body of the college with the corporation formed in 1829. In 1992 centralised graduation ceremonies at
5684-409: The centre of focus for alumni. However, the university continued to grow even as it moved to a looser federation, and, in 2005, admitted the Central School of Speech and Drama . On 9 December 2005, Imperial College became the second constituent body (after Regent's Park College) to make a formal decision to leave the university. Its council announced that it was beginning negotiations to withdraw from
5782-409: The closely linked St Giles area) has a long association with neighbouring Holborn ; but is nearly always considered as distinct from Holborn. The area appears to have been a part of the parish of Holborn when St Giles hospital was established in the early 1100s. The earliest record of the name, Bloomsbury, is as Blemondisberi in 1281. It is named after a member of the Blemund family who held
5880-422: The deputy vice chancellor and four heads of member institutions, appointed by the Collegiate Council. The board of trustees is supported by the Collegiate Council, which comprises the heads of the member institutions of the university, the deputy vice-chancellor, the dean and chief executive of the School of Advanced Study, the chief executive of the University of London Worldwide and the Collegiate Council's chair,
5978-410: The early 1900s, and to the lesser known Bloomsbury Gang of Whigs formed in 1765 by John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford . The publisher Faber & Faber used to be located in Queen Square , though at the time T. S. Eliot was editor the offices were in Tavistock Square. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in John Millais's parents' house on Gower Street in 1848. The Bloomsbury Festival
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#17327719048486076-434: The federal University of London as they had done previously, from the start of the academic year starting in Autumn 2007. Although this plan to award their own degrees did not amount to a decision to leave the University of London, the THES suggested that this "rais[ed] new doubts about the future of the federal University of London". The School of Pharmacy, University of London , merged with UCL on 1 January 2012, becoming
6174-436: The federal university: Birkbeck, City, Goldsmiths, King's College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, St George's, and University College London have all indicated that they intend to do so. As of 2015, there are around 2 million University of London alumni across
6272-412: The first major British higher education institution to close since the medieval University of Northampton in 1265. Its library of more than 250,000 volumes was moved to Senate House Library . In 2019, the University of London Press , founded in 1910, was relaunched as a fully open-access publisher specializing in "distinctive scholarship at the forefront of the Humanities ". The university owns
6370-401: The first university in the UK to admit women to degrees, via the grant of a supplemental charter. Four female students obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1880 and two obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in 1881, again the first in the country. In the late 19th century, the university came under criticism for merely serving as a centre for the administration of tests, and there were calls for
6468-478: The formal and more recent understandings of the area (to the north and south), seem to derive from Bloomsbury having been commonly misconceived as being coterminous with the Bedford Estate . In the early 1660s, the Earl of Southampton , who held the manors of St Giles and Bloomsbury, constructed what eventually became Bloomsbury Square . The Yorkshire Grey public house on the corner of Gray's Inn Road and Theobald's Road dates from 1676. The estate passed to
6566-426: The land back into the possession of the Crown and granted it to Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton . The area was part of the Ancient Parish of St Giles , served by the church of St Giles in the Fields . Some sources indicate that the parish was in place before 1222 while others suggest 1547. From 1597 onwards, English parishes were obliged to take on a civil as well as ecclesiastical role, starting with
6664-415: The late 20th century for smaller colleges to be amalgamated into larger "super-colleges". Some of the larger colleges (most notably UCL, King's College, LSE and Imperial) periodically put forward the possibility of their departure from the university, although no steps were taken to actually putting this into action until the early 21st century. In 2002, Imperial College and UCL mooted the possibility of
6762-535: The local authority's approach to the conservation and preservation of Bloomsbury, with national heritage groups such as the Victorian Society and Georgian Group voicing concerns along with local groups. A local campaign associated with the BCAAC, Save Bloomsbury, has written and campaigned extensively to protect Bloomsbury's heritage. As of 2021 Camden Council has not adopted any strategy to ensure Bloomsbury's conservation, and harmful development proposals continue to come forward. Neighbouring areas include St Pancras to
6860-434: The manor. There are older records relating to the family in London in 1201 and 1230. Their name, Blemund, derives from Blemont, a place in Vienne , in western France. At the end of the 14th century, Edward III acquired Blemond's manor, and passed it on to the Carthusian monks of the London Charterhouse . The area remained rural at this time. In the 16th century with the Dissolution of the Monasteries , Henry VIII took
6958-426: The name of "Midtown", since it was seen as "too American". Businesses were informed about the BID proposals, but there was little consultation with residents or voluntary organisations. InHolborn produced a comprehensive business plan aimed at large businesses. Bloomsbury is now part of InMidtown BID with its 2010 to 2015 business plan and a stated aim to make the area "a quality environment in which to work and live,
7056-412: The nearby Inns of Court . The area was enclosed by gates until these were abolished under a 1893 Act of Parliament. In the 19th century, the Bloomsbury area became less fashionable, now dominated by the University of London and the British Museum as well as numerous new hospitals. Modern development has destroyed several Georgian -era buildings, but some remain. The London Beer Flood (also known as
7154-405: The new University of Durham were also to be closed to non-Anglicans. In 1835, the government announced the response to UCL's petition for a charter. Two charters would be issued, one to UCL incorporating it as a college rather than a university, without degree awarding powers, and a second "establishing a Metropolitan University, with power to grant academical degrees to those who should study at
7252-401: The north and west, Fitzrovia to the west, Covent Garden and Holborn to the south, and Clerkenwell to the east. For street name etymologies see Street names of Bloomsbury . Historically, Bloomsbury is associated with the arts, education, and medicine. The area gives its name to the Bloomsbury Group of artists, among whom was Virginia Woolf , who met in private homes in the area in
7350-516: The north, the borough boundary to the south and Marchmont Street and Southampton Row to the east. The western boundary of Tottenham Court Road is common to all and a northern limit of Euston Road is often understood, though Coram's Fields and the land to the north, consisting mainly of blocks of flats, built as both private and social housing was traditionally associated as being north Bloomsbury with Judd Street and its surrounding squares being part of St Pancras, King's Cross. The eastern boundary
7448-536: The possibility of joining the University of London. It was subsequently announced in July 2015 that City would join the University of London in August 2016. It will cease to be an independent university and become a college as "City, University of London". In 2016 reforms were proposed that would see the colleges become member institutions and be allowed to legally become universities in their own right. A bill to amend
7546-545: The public in 1759 in Montagu House , is at the heart of Bloomsbury. At the centre of the museum the space around the former British Library Reading Room , which was filled with the concrete storage bunkers of the British Library, is today the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court , an indoor square with a glass roof designed by British architect Norman Foster . It houses displays, a cinema, a shop,
7644-529: The reason the building had fared so well was that Adolf Hitler had planned to use it as his headquarters in London. The latter half of the last century was less eventful. In 1948, Athlone Press was founded as the publishing house for the university, and sold to the Bemrose Corporation in 1979, subsequent to which it was acquired by Continuum publishing . However, the post-WWII period was mostly characterised by expansion and consolidation within
7742-544: The squares that we see today started in about 1800 when Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford , demolished Bedford House and developed the land to the north with Russell Square as its centrepiece. Much is still owned today by the Bedford Estate in trust for the Russell family. John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford , extended development on the north and east side of the estate, this area would then be frequented by writers, painters and musicians as well as lawyers due to
7840-654: The time of completion the second largest building in London. The University of London contingent of the Officers' Training Corps (OTC) was formed in 1908 and had enrolled 950 students by autumn 1914. During the First World War, the OTC supplied 500 officers to the British Army between August 1914 and March 1915. Some 665 officers associated with the university died during the First World War and 245 officers in
7938-668: The university in time for its own centenary celebrations, and in order to be able to award its own degrees. On 5 October 2006, the University of London accepted Imperial's formal request to withdraw from it. Imperial became fully independent on 9 July 2007, as part of the celebrations of the college's centenary. The Times Higher Education Supplement announced in February 2007 that the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London all planned to start awarding their own degrees, rather than degrees from
8036-413: The university into a convocation , similar to those of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and authorised the granting of degrees in science, the first BSc being awarded in 1860. The expanded role meant the university needed more space, particularly with the growing number of students at the provincial university colleges . Between 1867 and 1870 a new headquarters was built at 6 Burlington Gardens , providing
8134-541: The university offering such degrees. By the 1970s, almost all of these colleges had achieved independence from the University of London. An increasing number of overseas and UK-based academic institutes offer courses to support students registered for the University of London flexible and distance learning diplomas and degrees and the Teaching Institutions Recognition Framework enables the recognition of these institutions. Under
8232-399: The university with exam halls and offices. In 1863, via a fourth charter, the university gained the right to grant degrees in surgery. This 1863 charter remains the authority under which the university is incorporated, although all its other provisions were abolished under the University of London Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 62). In 1878, the university set another first when it became
8330-416: The university's statutes was introduced into the House of Lords in late 2016. The bill was held up by procedural matters in the House of Commons, with MP Christopher Chope objecting to it receiving a second reading without debate and no time having been scheduled for such debate. Twelve of the colleges, including UCL and King's, said that they would seek university status once the bill was passed. The bill
8428-732: The university). The 3Cosas campaigners were members of the UNISON trade union. However, documents leaked in 2014 revealed that UNISON representatives tried to counter the 3Cosas campaign in meetings with university management. The 3Cosas workers subsequently transferred to the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain. Following good results in the Research Excellence Framework in December 2014, City University London said that they were exploring
8526-461: The university, such as the acquisition as a constituent body of the Jesuit theological institution Heythrop College on its move from Oxfordshire in 1969. ` The University of London Act 1978 (c. ii) saw the university defined as a federation of self-governing colleges, starting the process of decentralisation that would lead to a marked transference of academic and financial power in this period from
8624-716: The university. Beyond this right to submit students for examination, there was no other connection between the colleges and the university. In 1849 the university held its first graduation ceremony at Somerset House following a petition to the senate from the graduates, who had previously received their degrees without any ceremony. About 250 students graduated at this ceremony. The London academic robes of this period were distinguished by their "rich velvet facings". The list of institutions whose students could enter University of London examinations grew rapidly by 1858, including all other British universities as well as more than 30 other schools and colleges outside of London. In that year,
8722-420: The university. Some member institutions also have the power to award their own degrees instead of those of the university; those which exercise that power include: Most decisions affecting the member institutions and institutes of the University of London are made at the level of the member institutions or institutes themselves. The University of London does retain its own decision-making structure, however, with
8820-399: The vice-chancellor. The chancellors of the University of London since its founding are as follows: For most practical purposes, ranging from admission of students to negotiating funding from the government, the 17 member institutions are treated as individual universities. Legally speaking they are known as Recognised Bodies , with the authority to examine students and award them degrees of
8918-486: The world, including at least 14 monarchs or royalty, more than 60 presidents or prime ministers in the world (including five prime ministers of the United Kingdom ), two Cabinet Secretaries of the UK , 98 Nobel laureates , five Fields Medallists , four Turing Award winners, six Grammy winners, two Oscar winners, three Olympic gold medalists and the " Father of the Nation " of several countries. The university owns
9016-414: Was annulled by the king's death. Queen Victoria issued a second charter on 5 December 1837, reincorporating the university. The university awarded its first degrees in 1839, all to students from UCL and King's College. The university established by the charters of 1836 and 1837 was essentially an examining board with the right to award degrees in arts, laws and medicine. However, the university did not have
9114-485: Was born at 54 Hunter Street, Brunswick Square in 1819. The Minerva Club was founded here by Dr Elizabeth Knight and Alice Green in 1920. The club was used for Women's Freedom League meetings and as a hostel for suffrage activists and fund-raising annual birthday parties for Charlotte Despard . Despard travelled from Ireland each year to attend. The writer E.M. Forster used 26 Brunswick Square as his London base from 1930 to 1939. Bloomsbury Bloomsbury
9212-514: Was debated and passed its second reading on 16 October 2018. It received royal assent on 20 December 2018, becoming the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii) The twelve colleges (namely, all except The Courtauld, ICR, LBS, RAM and RCSSD) subsequently applied for university status, although stating they did not intend to change their names, with notice being given in the London Gazette on 4 February 2019. In 2018, Heythrop College became
9310-486: Was finished first, being built by James Burton in 1795–1802; none of the original houses remain. The bronze sculpture of a child's mitten, by Tracey Emin , sits on top of one of the railings outside the Foundling Museum. In Jane Austen 's Emma , John and Isabella Knightley live in Brunswick Square. In William Makepeace Thackeray 's Vanity Fair , Mr. Osborne lives in Brunswick Square. John Ruskin
9408-526: Was founded in 1968 by the local authority and continues to serve Bloomsbury and the surrounding area. It is generally thought that the Bloomsbury Conservation Area Advisory Committee (BCAAC) has the most detailed knowledge of Bloomsbury's built heritage and social history due to its members having lived in the area for many decades. It is accordingly consulted with on all major and minor development proposals in
9506-706: Was implemented in 1900 with the approval of new statutes for the university. The London University should stand to the British empire as the great technological institution in Berlin, the Charlottenburg, stood to the German empire. The reforms initiated by the 1898 act came into force with the approval of the new federal statutes in 1900. Many of the colleges in London became schools of the university, including UCL, King's College, Bedford College , Royal Holloway and
9604-623: Was launched in 2006 when local resident Roma Backhouse was commissioned to mark the re-opening of the Brunswick Centre, a residential and shopping area. The free festival is a celebration of the local area, partnering with galleries, libraries and museums, and achieved charitable status at the end of 2012. As of 2013, the Duchess of Bedford is a festival patron and Festival Directors have included Cathy Maher (2013), Kate Anderson (2015–2019) and Rosemary Richards (2020–present). Bloomsbury
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