82-479: Leicester Square ( / ˈ l ɛ s t ər / LEST -ər ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London , England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields , which was named after the recently built Leicester House , itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester . The square was originally a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and
164-602: A Great Outdoors scheme proposed by the Mayor of London , Boris Johnson . The improvements included 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of granite paving and a water feature surrounding the Shakespeare statue. The square re-opened in May 2012 after 17 months' work at a total cost of £15.3 million. The Greater London Authority said the refurbishments would accommodate more than 1,000 new jobs. The re-opening coincided with
246-587: A Swiss glockenspiel clock. M&M's World is now on the former site of the Swiss Centre. The world's largest Lego store opened at 3 Swiss Court in November 2016. The opening was marked by unveiling a 6-metre (20 ft) high model of Big Ben made out of 200,000 Lego bricks. In 2022, Burger King announced it would open its first meat-free restaurant in Leicester Square. The restaurant
328-514: A centre for Italian opera and ballet, with an opera house to rival those in mainland Europe. The opera house was never built, as the royal patent needed at that time to license a theatre was refused. The plans for the original design are preserved in Sir John Soane's Museum , while a 1790 painting by William Hodges , which displays the finished design, belongs to the Museum of London . By
410-430: A covenant not to erect buildings but the law would not allow buyers who were not "privy" to the initial contract to be bound by subsequent promises. The judge, Lord Cottenham , decided that future owners of land could be bound by promises to abstain from activity, subject to the doctrine of notice (actual or constructive). Otherwise, a buyer could (re-)sell land to himself to undermine an initial promise. James Wyld bought
492-858: A designated footpath for pedestrian traffic , called the sidewalk in North American English , the pavement in British English , and the footpath in Australian and New Zealand English . There are also footpaths not associated with a road; these include urban short cuts and also rural paths used mainly by ramblers, hikers, or hill-walkers. Footpaths in mountainous or forested areas may also be called trails . Pedestrians share some footpaths with horses and bicycles: these paths may be known as bridleways. Other byways used by walkers are also accessible to vehicles . There are also many roads with no footpath. Some modern towns (such as
574-583: A diplomatic mission to Denmark–Norway in 1632 and undertook further diplomatic work in France from 1636 to 1641. Lord Leicester was then appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in place of The Earl of Strafford . When the governorship of Dublin became vacant, Leicester appointed George Monck . Charles I , however, overruled the appointment in favour of Lord Lambart . In 1643 he resigned without having set foot in Ireland. Lord Leicester died at Penshurst at
656-399: A frontal impact. In such a situation, an adult pedestrian is struck by a car front (for instance, the bumper touches either the leg or knee-joint area), accelerating the lower part of the body forward while "the upper body is rotated and accelerated relative to the car," at which point the pelvis and thorax are hit. Then the head hits the windscreen at the velocity of the striking car. Finally,
738-467: A high priority in many large cities in Western Europe, often in conjunction with public transport enhancements. In Copenhagen , the world's longest pedestrian shopping area, Strøget , has been developed over the last 40 years, principally due to the work of Danish architect Jan Gehl , a principle of urban design known as copenhagenisation . Safety is an important issue where cars can cross
820-557: A museum by this time, and was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1865. It was rebuilt as the Empire Theatre. Several foreign-owned hotels were established around the square, making it popular with visitors to London. Brunet's Hôtel at No. 25 was opened by Louis Brunet in 1800, later expanding to Nos. 24 and 26 during the following decade. It was bought by Francis Jaunay in 1815 known as Jaunay's Hôtel . The Hôtel Sablonière et de Provence opened at No. 17–18 in 1845 as
902-412: A number of times during the first half of the 19th century, including Robert Barren following Elmes' death in 1822, John Inderwick in 1834, and Hyam Hyams and Edward Moxhay in 1839. Little maintenance was done and the garden deteriorated to the point of severe dilapidation. In 1848, the land was subject to the significant legal case of Tulk v Moxhay . The plot's previous owner, Moxhay, had agreed upon
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#1732787801741984-452: A privy councillor. He was elected one of the two knights of the shire for Kent in 1621. In 1624 he was elected as the member for Monmouthshire and was re-elected for that county in 1625. In 1626, he succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester In 1631, he began the construction of Leicester House , a huge mansion on the site of what is now Leicester Square in London. He was employed on
1066-610: A process of removing vehicular traffic from city streets or restricting vehicular access to streets for use by pedestrians, to improve the environment and safety. Efforts are under way by pedestrian advocacy groups to restore pedestrian access to new developments, especially to counteract newer developments, 20% to 30% of which in the United States do not include footpaths. Some activists advocate large pedestrian zones where only pedestrians, or pedestrians and some non-motorised vehicles, are allowed. Many urbanists have extolled
1148-457: A quirk of British English. A report by Premier Inn said Leicester Square was the most mispronounced place in the UK by tourists, usually as " / l aɪ ˈ tʃ ɛ s t ər / " ("Lie-chester") Square. Pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement (US: sidewalk), but this
1230-480: A road with no footpath. Indoor pedestrian networks connect the different rooms or spaces of a building. Airports, museums, campuses, hospitals and shopping centres might have tools allowing for the computation of the shortest paths between two destinations. Their increasing availability is due to the complexity of path finding in these facilities. Different mapping tools, such as OpenStreetMap , are extending to indoor spaces. Pedestrianisation might be considered as
1312-593: A statue of Harry Potter riding a Nimbus 2000 was installed, becoming the ninth statue in the exhibition. In June 2021, a statue of the Iron Throne from HBO TV series Game of Thrones was unveiled to mark 10 years since the release of the first episode. Leicester Square is one of several places in the West End that puts on events relating to the Chinese New Year . The celebrations are organised by
1394-570: A troubled start, closing for a time, until the end of the decade. The theatre gained a reputation for high-class prostitutes frequenting the theatre, and in 1894 the London County Council ordered the promenade on the upper balcony to be remodelled. A young Winston Churchill , then a cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , helped destroy canvas screens that had been erected to prevent access to
1476-425: A vehicle. The Traffic Injury Research Foundation describes pedestrians as vulnerable road users because they are not protected in the same way as occupants of motor vehicles. There is an increasing focus on pedestrians versus motor vehicles in many countries. Most pedestrian injuries occur while they are crossing a street. Most crashes involving a pedestrian occur at night. Most pedestrian fatalities are killed by
1558-501: A woman who lived at No. 27 Leicester Square. The event was widely reported around London, attracting interest from King George I and Royal Society president Hans Sloane . Shortly afterwards, the woman was caught trying to buy a rabbit in secret, and the incident was uncovered as a hoax. Leicester Square is commemorated in the lyrics of the music hall song " It's a Long Way to Tipperary " along with nearby Piccadilly , which became popular with soldiers during World War I . During
1640-638: A wooden hoarding around the property in 1873. These were quickly removed after the Master of the Rolls ordered that the land must be preserved for its original purpose. The garden was saved by the Member of Parliament (MP) Albert Grant , who purchased the park in 1874 for £11,060 and donated it to the Metropolitan Board of Works . The title deed for the square passed to the succeeding public bodies and
1722-785: Is Leicester Square , which opened in 1906. London bus routes 24 , 29 and 176 run on nearby Charing Cross Road. Leicester Square has also been used as the name for the immediate surrounding area, roughly corresponding with Coventry Street , Cranbourn Street, Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Street. This includes Bear Street, Haymarket , Hobhouse Court (named after Sir John Cam Hobhouse ), Hunt's Court (after Samuel Hunt, 17th century carpenter and leaseholder), Irving Street (after actor Henry Irving ), Orange Street (named after William III , Prince of Orange), Oxendon Street (after Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet ), Panton Street (after local property dealer Thomas Panton ), and Trafalgar Square . The land where Leicester Square now lies once belonged to
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#17327878017411804-562: Is a footbridge . In Britain, regardless of whether there is a footpath, pedestrians have the legal right to use most public roads, excluding motorways and some toll tunnels and bridges such as the Blackwall Tunnel and the Dartford Crossing — although sometimes it may endanger the pedestrian and other road users. The UK Highway Code advises that pedestrians should walk in the opposite direction to oncoming traffic on
1886-629: Is based in nearby Leicester Place. It was constructed in 1955 as a church, before becoming the Notre Dame Hall, then the Cavern in the Town, a popular live music venue in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it was renamed back to the Notre Dame Hall, where the Sex Pistols played one of their first gigs at the club on 15 November 1976. It was converted into a theatre in 2002 as The Venue, and refurbished as
1968-572: Is greater than 40 km/h. Among the factors which reduce road safety for pedestrians are wider lanes, roadway widening, and roadways designed for higher speeds and with increased numbers of traffic lanes. For this reason, some European cities such as Freiburg (Germany) have lowered the speed limit to 30 km/h on 90% of its streets, to reduce risk for its 15 000 people. With such policy, 24% of daily trips are performed by foot, against 28% by bicycles, 20% by public transport and 28% by car. (See Zone 30 .) A similar set of policies to discourage
2050-583: Is important both for human health and for the natural environment . Frequent exercise such as walking tends to reduce the chance of obesity and related medical problems. In contrast, using a car for short trips tends to contribute both to obesity and via vehicle emissions to climate change: internal combustion engines are more inefficient and highly polluting during their first minutes of operation (engine cold start). General availability of public transportation encourages walking, as it will not, in most cases, take one directly to one's destination. In Unicode ,
2132-416: Is known for its screenings of cult films and marathon film runs. The square remains a tourist attraction which hosts events, including for the Chinese New Year . The square has always had a park in its centre, which was originally common land . The park's fortunes have varied over the centuries, reaching near dilapidation in the mid-19th century after changing ownership several times. It was restored under
2214-499: Is now Fanum House, once the Automobile Association head office. At the end of the 17th century, Lord Leicester's heir, Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester , permitted a small amount of retail development in booths along the front of Leicester House. A statue of George I was built on the square in 1760 following the coronation of his great-grandson, George III . The square remained fashionable throughout most of
2296-523: Is now No. 21 around 1700 and artist William Hogarth resided at No 30 between 1733 and 1764, where he produced some of his best known works including Gin Lane . The magistrate Thomas de Veil , later to found Bow Street Magistrates' Court , lived at No 40 between 1729 and 1737; this location is now The Londoner hotel and Odeon Luxe West End cinema. The painter Joshua Reynolds lived at No 47 from 1760 until his death in 1792; this location
2378-454: Is now in the ownership of the City of Westminster. After the purchase, the architect James Knowles redesigned the park. A statue of William Shakespeare surrounded by dolphins was constructed in the centre. The four corner gates of the park had one bust each of famous former residents in the square: the scientist Sir Isaac Newton designed by William Calder Marshall ; Sir Joshua Reynolds ,
2460-507: Is scheduled to operate from 14 March to 10 April. The main electrical substation for the West End is beneath the square. 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. In 1726, anatomist Nathaniel St André claimed to have delivered rabbits from Mary Toft ,
2542-513: The Recueil des Croniques et Anchiennes Istories de la Grant Bretaigne . Walking has always been the primary means of human locomotion. The first humans to migrate from Africa, about 60,000 years ago, walked. They walked along the coast of India to reach Australia. They walked across Asia to reach the Americas, and from Central Asia into Europe. With the advent of the cars at the beginning of
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2624-569: The 2012 Summer Olympics later that year. In the middle of the square is a small park that was originally available for common use on Lammas Day (12 August), such as washing clothes and herding cattle. The Earl of Leicester was obliged to preserve these grounds, which were separated from the rest of the square with railings. In 1808, the garden was sold by the Leicester Estate to Charles Elmes for £210 (equivalent to £20,687 in 2023), who neglected to maintain it. Ownership changed hands
2706-626: The Land's End to John o' Groats walk in the United Kingdom, and the traversal of North America from coast to coast. The first person to walk around the world was Dave Kunst who started his walk traveling east from Waseca, Minnesota on 20 June 1970 and completed his journey on 5 October 1974, when he re-entered the town from the west. These feats are often tied to charitable fundraising and are undertaken, among others, by celebrities such as Sir Jimmy Savile and Ian Botham . Roads often have
2788-489: The hexadecimal code for "pedestrian" is 1F6B6 . In XML and HTML, the string 🚶 produces 🚶. Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1 December 1595 – 2 November 1677) was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1625 and then succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Leicester . Sidney was born at Baynard's Castle in London,
2870-424: The 18th century, with notable residents including the architect James Stuart at No 35 from 1766 to 1788 and the painter John Singleton Copley at No. 28 from 1776 to 1783. Leicester House was intermittently inhabited during the mid-18th century, and was finally sold to the naturalist Ashton Lever in 1775. Lever turned the house into a museum with a significant amount of natural history objects. In turn,
2952-637: The 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue, with many amusements peculiar to the era, including Wyld's Great Globe , which was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and housed a giant scale map of the Earth. The construction of New Coventry Street made it easier for traffic to access the square, resulting in private residences being replaced by shops, museums and exhibition centres. Savile House at No. 5–6, built in 1683 for Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury , had become
3034-409: The 20th century, the main story is that the cars took over, and "people chose the car", but there were many groups and movements that held on to walking as their preferred means of daily transport and some who organised to promote walking, and to counterbalance the widely-held view that often favoured cars, e.g. as related by Peter Norton . During the 18th and 19th centuries, pedestrianism (walking)
3116-522: The Abbot and Convent of Westminster Abbey and the Beaumont family . In 1536, Henry VIII took control of 3 acres (1.2 ha) of land around the square, with the remaining 4 acres (1.6 ha) being transferred to the king the following year. The square is named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester , who purchased this land in 1630. By 1635, he had built himself a large house, Leicester House , at
3198-547: The Alhambra Palace. It enjoyed a surge in popularity after Queen Victoria and family came to see "Black Eagle – The Horse of Beauty". It burned down in 1882, but reopened the following year. In the early 20th century, the theatre became a popular venue for ballet. It was demolished in 1936 and replaced by the Odeon Cinema . The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened in 1884 on the former site of Savile House, but had
3280-545: The British Monopoly board along with Coventry Street and Piccadilly. The board was set out by designers Victor Watson and Marge Phillips in the order of entertainment on a Saturday night: film at Leicester Square, meal in Coventry Street and hotel on Piccadilly. The word Leicester features the ending cester which is with rare exceptions spoken as a simplified pronunciation, so is counterintuitive,
3362-465: The Dutch service in 1616. In 1618 he became a member of Gray's Inn . In 1620 he had a disagreement with James Hay, Viscount Doncaster , who was his brother-in-law, having married Lucy Percy . He wrote that Hay seemed cold to him, despite their wives being friendly. They argued at Petworth , Sidney struggled with Hay's servants and left his hat behind. Other guests made him feel at fault for arguing with
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3444-704: The Empire was the Ritz Cinema, opened by MGM in 1937. It played Gone With the Wind for four years from 1940 to 1944. It became a second screen for the Empire in 1972 and was converted to a 4DX screen in 2018. In 2023 it was closed due to a dispute with the building's landlord. On the south side, the Leicester Square Theatre opened in 1930. It was renamed the Odeon West End in 1988 and
3526-477: The Empire, in the 1960s it became the largest cinema on the square. It later became the largest cinema in the United Kingdom. The seating capacity was reduced to 800 following refurbishment in 2018. On the other side of the Empire was the Queen's Hotel, which started showing newsreels in the 1930s and was then converted into a Jacey Cinema in 1960. It closed in 1978 and is now a casino. The Warner Theatre , near
3608-562: The Hôtel de Provence, and renamed in 1869. It closed in 1919 and became a public house. The Cavour , at No. 20 at the southeast of the square, opened in 1864. It was badly damaged in World War II but subsequently restored. The Alhambra Theatre was built in 1854 on the east side of the square, dominating the site. It temporarily closed two years later when the original owner, Edward Clarke, became bankrupt, but then reopened in 1858 as
3690-617: The Leicester Square Theatre in 2008 (using the name of an earlier cinema). The square has been the home for TKTS (originally known as the Official London Half-Price Theatre Ticket Booth), since 1980. Tickets for theatre performances taking place around the West End that day and during the week are sold from the booth at a significant discount. The popularity of the booth has given rise to other booths and stores around
3772-597: The London Chinatown Chinese Association and held on the first Sunday during the new year period. Events include music, acrobatics and dancing. In 2015, the celebrations attracted more than 1,000 participants, becoming the largest of their kind in the UK. These included lion dances, a show of the Cultures of China and a drum show. A parade ran nearby through Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue . The Royal Dental Hospital and school
3854-1151: The Netherlands, 4.3 in Sweden, 4.5 in Wales, 5.3 in New Zealand, 6.0 in Germany; 7.1 in the whole United Kingdom, 7.5 in Australia, 8.4 in France, 8.4 in Spain, 9.4 in Italy, 11.1 in Israel, 13 in Japan, 13.8 in Greece, 18.5 in the United States, 22.9 in Poland, and 36.3 in Romania. It is well documented that a minor increase in speed might greatly increase the likelihood of a crash, and exacerbate resulting casualties. For this reason,
3936-672: The US, some pedestrians have just 40 seconds to cross a street 10 lanes wide. Pedestrian fatalities are much more common in accident situations in the European Union than in the United States. In the European Union countries, more than 200,000 pedestrians and cyclists are injured annually. Also, each year, more than 270 000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world's roads. At a global level pedestrians constitute 22% of all road deaths, but might be two-thirds in some countries. Pedestrian fatalities, in 2016, were 2.6 per million population in
4018-577: The album Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999), " He's on the Phone " (1995) by Saint Etienne and "Leicester Square" on Rancid 's Life Won't Wait (1998). A verse in "Something About England" on the Clash 's 1980 album Sandinista! refers back to "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", including a reference to Leicester Square. Leicester Square is one of a group of three on
4100-618: The artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds . It became more down-market in the late 18th century as Leicester House was demolished and retail developments took place, becoming a centre for entertainment. Major theatres were built in the 19th century, which were converted to cinemas towards the middle of the next. Leicester Square is the location of nationally significant cinemas such as the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and Empire, Leicester Square , which are often used for film premieres. The nearby Prince Charles Cinema
4182-526: The assets of the garden from the Tulk and Moxhay's death estates in 1849 to erect the Great Globe, though buried the statue of George I under 12 feet of earth with the globe stuck on top. The statue was uncovered following the globe's demise, but by 1866 it had deteriorated due to vandalism and was sold for £16. Arguments continued about the fate of the garden, with Charles Augustus Tulk 's heirs erecting
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#17327878017414264-627: The balcony. The theatre closed in 1927, to be replaced by the Empire Cinema . During the Winter of Discontent , where the incumbent Labour Party struggled to meet demands of trade unions and a shrinking economy, refuse collectors went on strike in January 1979. Leicester Square was turned into a de facto dump, earning it the nickname of " Fester Square". In the 1980s, the square was pedestrianised , cutting off all vehicular traffic. Access to
4346-442: The course of the event. During the rest of the 19th century, many people tried to repeat this feat, including Ada Anderson who developed it further and walked a half-mile (800 m) each quarter-hour over the 1000 hours. Since the 20th century, interest in walking as a sport has dropped. Racewalking is still an Olympic sport, but fails to catch public attention as it did. However major walking feats are still performed, such as
4428-409: The direction of Albert Grant , which included the construction of four new statues and a fountain of William Shakespeare . The square was extensively refurbished and remodelled for the 2012 Summer Olympics at a cost of more than £15 million. The square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road , to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to
4510-611: The distances in miles to several Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Kenya and Jamaica. After the Great Outdoors refurbishment of the square, only the statue of Shakespeare still remains. Since the 19th century, Leicester Square has been known for its entertainment venues, including the Alhambra and Empire theatres and the nearby Daly's Theatre , which opened in 1893, and the Hippodrome , which opened in 1900. One of
4592-603: The extinction of the Leicester peerage, and replaced by Leicester Place. That in turn was converted into a church in 1865 and is now the site of the Prince Charles Cinema . In 1790, a new Royal Opera House was proposed to be built in Leicester Square. The scheme was led by the Prince of Wales , Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford and James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury and aimed to re-establish London as
4674-470: The first President of the Royal Academy by Henry Weekes ; John Hunter , a pioneer of surgery, by Thomas Woolner ; and William Hogarth , the painter, by Joseph Durham . Ownership transferred to Westminster City Council in 1933. The most recent addition was a bronze statue of film star and director Sir Charlie Chaplin , designed by sculptor John Doubleday in 1981. On the pavement were inscribed
4756-728: The main cinemas in the square; in 2013 a ticket for a new release at the Prince Charles cost £10, compared to £24 at the Odeon. Due to the Leicester Square's long association with cinema, a film-themed sculpture trail entitled Scenes in the Square was installed. In February 2020, eight sculptures were installed which depict characters from the last 100 years of cinema including Laurel and Hardy , Mary Poppins , Batman , Bugs Bunny , Don Lockwood portrayed by Gene Kelly , Paddington Bear , Mr. Bean , and Wonder Woman . In September 2020,
4838-553: The most seats in a single screen in the United Kingdom. Similar to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood , the square was surrounded by floor mounted plaques with film stars' names and cast handprints. During the 2010–2012 refurbishment, many of the plaques were removed, confusing tourists who still expected to find them there. In the 1950s, the Hippodrome became a nightclub and is now a casino. The Leicester Square Theatre
4920-614: The new suburbs of Peterborough in England) are designed with the network of footpaths and cycle paths almost entirely separate from the road network. The term trail is also used by the authorities in some countries to mean any footpath that is not attached to a road or street. If such footpaths are in urban environments and are meant for both pedestrians and pedal cyclists, they can be called shared use paths or multi-use paths in general and official usage. нуПЬ Some shopping streets are for pedestrians only. Some roads have special pedestrian crossings . A bridge solely for pedestrians
5002-420: The north east corner, opened in 1938 on the site of the former Daly's Theatre. The Warner was demolished and rebuilt in 1993. In 2004, it was taken over by Vue . In 2006, it was one of the first two cinemas in Europe to screen a film in Digital 3D with Chicken Little . A short distance from the west of the square, on the south side of Panton Street, is the Odeon Panton Street. The Prince Charles Cinema , to
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#17327878017415084-519: The north of the square opened in 1962 with a "satellite dish" design where the audience looks upwards to the stage. The cinema became known for showing pornographic and erotic films during the 1970s, including Emmanuelle (1974). It later became a favourite venue for showing cult films , including The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and a sing-along version of The Sound of Music (1965), and marathon performances including all seven Muppet films back to back. Prices are considerably cheaper than
5166-430: The north side of the square was converted into a cinema in 1928. It was the largest on the square until 1959, when a new projection box was built in the centre of the stalls for Ben-Hur , reducing the seating capacity from 2,778 to 1,723. In 1961, the building was gutted and a new cinema and dance hall were built in the shell. In 2013 the main auditorium was divided into two screens, including an IMAX screen. Adjoining
5248-420: The northern end. The area in front of the house was then enclosed, depriving inhabitants of St Martin in the Fields parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King Charles I , and he appointed three members of the privy council to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land (thereafter known as Leicester Fields and later as Leicester Square) open for
5330-558: The parishioners. The square was laid out to the south of Leicester House and developed in the 1670s. The area was originally entirely residential, with properties laid out in a similar style to nearby Pall Mall . In 1687, the northern part of the square became part of the new parish of St Anne, Soho . The 7th Earl of Leicester took ownership of the property in 1728 and it was the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales , from 1742 until his death in 1751 and that of his wife Princess Augusta until 1771. The poet Matthew Prior lived at what
5412-481: The pedestrian way. Drivers and pedestrians share some responsibility for improving safety of road users. Road traffic crashes are not inevitable; they are both predictable and preventable. Key risks for pedestrians are well known. Among the well-documented factors are driver behaviour (including speeding and drunk driving); infrastructure missing facilities (including pavements, crossings and islands ); and vehicle designs which are not forgiving to pedestrians struck by
5494-781: The recommended maximum speed is 30 km/h (20 mph) or 40 km/h (25 mph) in residential and high pedestrian traffic areas, with enforced traffic rules on speed limits and traffic-calming measures. The design of road and streets plays a key role in pedestrian safety. Roads are too often designed for motorized vehicles, without taking into account pedestrian and bicycle needs. The non-existence of sidewalk and signals increases risk for pedestrians. This defect might more easily be observed on arterial roadways, intersections and fast-speed lanes without adequate attention to pedestrian facilities. For instance, an assessment of roads in countries from many continents shows that 84% of roads are without pedestrian footpaths, while maximum limited speed
5576-405: The signs marking the square bears the legend " Theatreland ". In the 20th century, most of these large theatres became cinemas and the area is the centre of London's cinema scene and the prime location in the United Kingdom for film premieres. Since the 1980s, it has hosted the London Film Festival each year. The Odeon Leicester Square , on the site of the old Alhambra theatre, is the cinema with
5658-409: The site of 46% of all pedestrian deaths in the country. The advent of SUVs is considered a leading cause; speculation of other factors includes population growth, driver distraction with mobile phones, poor street lighting, alcohol and drugs and speeding. Cities have had mixed results in addressing pedestrian safety with Vision zero plan: Los Angeles fails while NYC has had success. Nonetheless, in
5740-426: The son of Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester , and his first wife, Barbara Gamage . He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford . In 1610 he was created Knight of the Bath when Prince Henry was created Prince of Wales. He was elected Member of Parliament for Wilton in 1614. Sidney served in the army in the Netherlands during his father's governorship of Flushing , and was given command of an English regiment in
5822-407: The square began to serve as a venue for popular entertainments. Brothels began to appear around Leicester Square during the century, and visitors could pay to watch the severed heads of traitors executed at Temple Bar through a telescope . Leicester House became home of a museum of natural curiosities called the Holophusikon in the 1780s. It was demolished in 1791–72 due to rising debts following
5904-406: The square for goods and deliveries is now controlled by specially designated marshals. By the start of the 21st century, Westminster City Council were concerned that the square was too dangerous at night, and wanted to demolish sections of it to encourage the growth of theatres and cinemas, and reduce popularity of nightclubs. In 2010, a major redevelopment of Leicester Square took place as part of
5986-559: The square that advertise half-price tickets for West End shows. The Official London Theatre Guide recommends avoiding these booths as they are not official and do not contain the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR) logo. Global Radio has its headquarters on the east side of Leicester Square at No. 30, close to the Odeon. The building houses the radio stations Capital , Capital Xtra , Classic FM , Gold , Heart , LBC , Smooth Radio and Radio X . The Empire theatre on
6068-605: The use of cars and increase safety for pedestrians has been implemented by the Northern European capitals of Oslo and Helsinki. In 2019, this resulted in both cities counting zero pedestrian deaths for the first time. In Europe, pedestrian fatalities have a seasonal factor, with 6% of annual fatalities occurring in April but 13% (twice more) in December. The rationale for such a change might be complex. Regular walking
6150-438: The victim falls to the ground. Research has shown that urban crimes, or the mere perception of crimes, severely affect the mental and physical health of pedestrians. Inter-pedestrian behaviour, without the involvement of vehicles, is also a key factor to pedestrian safety. Some special interest groups consider pedestrian fatalities on American roads a carnage. Five states – Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas – are
6232-533: The virtues of pedestrian streets in urban areas. In the US the proportion of households without a car is 8%, but a notable exception is New York City , the only locality in the United States where more than half of all households do not own a car (the figure is even higher in Manhattan, over 75%). The use of cars for short journeys is officially discouraged in many parts of the world, and construction or separation of dedicated walking routes in city centres receives
6314-530: The war, British inmates of Ruhleben Prisoner of War camp mentioned the square in a song: "Shout this chorus all you can. We want the people there, to hear in Leicester Square, That we're the boys that never get downhearted." It is mentioned in the lyrics of several rock & pop band tracks, including the Rolling Stones ' notorious " Cocksucker Blues ", (1970) "Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square" on Jethro Tull 's album Stand Up (1969), "Emit Remmus" on
6396-475: The west. The park at the centre of the square is bound by Cranbourn Street , to the north; Leicester Street, to the east; Irving Street, to the south; and a section of road designated simply as Leicester Square, to the west. It is within the City of Westminster , north of Trafalgar Square , east of Piccadilly Circus , west of Covent Garden , and south of Cambridge Circus . The nearest London Underground station
6478-543: Was based at 40–41 from 1874 to 1901 and at 31–36 from 1901 to 1985, when the building was redeveloped as the Hampshire Hotel. The School of English operated on Leicester Square from 1992 until its closure in 2015. It taught over 25,000 students during its years of operation. To the west of the square was the location for the Swiss Centre from 1966 to 2008. The area is now named Swiss Court and still features
6560-555: Was earmarked for demolition in 2014, to be replaced by a ten-storey hotel including a two-screen cinema. The new cinema opened in 2021 as the Odeon Luxe West End . The Odeon Leicester Square, which dominates the east side of the square, hosts many film premieres. Opened in 1937 on the site of the Alhambra Theatre, it originally had a capacity for 2,116 people, arranged in circle and stalls. Following changes at
6642-602: Was non a popular spectator sport, just as equestrianism (riding) still is in places. One of the most famous pedestrians of that period was Captain Robert Barclay Allardice , known as "The Celebrated Pedestrian", of Stonehaven in Scotland. His most impressive feat was to walk 1 mile (1.6 km) every hour for 1000 hours, which he achieved between 1 June and 12 July 1809. This feat captured many people's imagination, and around 10,000 people came to watch over
6724-722: Was not the case historically. Pedestrians may also be wheelchair users or other disabled people who use mobility aids . The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with the morphemes ped- ('foot') and -ian ('characteristic of'). This word is derived from the Latin term pedester ('going on foot') and was first used (in the English language) during the 18th century. It was originally used, and can still be used today, as an adjective meaning plain or dull. However, in this article it takes on its noun form and refers to someone who walks. The word pedestrian may have been used in middle French in
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