diamond geezer

Friday, April 11, 2025

45

45 Squared
12) TRINITY CHURCH SQUARE, SE1
Borough of Southwark, 75m×60m

Here's an elegant garden square fronted by Georgian terraces, although you can't go in the garden unless you're a resident because it's one of those. Trinity Church Square lies just off Borough High Street, and is accessed via broad leafy Trinity Street so you might have ridden past along Cycleway 10. Everything's called Trinity round here, partly because land locally was gifted to Trinity House in 1661 by merchant seaman Christopher Merrick for the benefit of destitute mariners, and partly because the church in the middle of the square was Holy Trinity. Originally it was called Trinity Square - the same as the City corner where Trinity House is based - but later a distinction was made and the word Church got inserted. This is thus one of London's rare streets whose sign additionally announces what it used to be called, despite the name change being over 70 years ago.

The houses are lovely, in a 'Mary Poppins could step out at any time' kind of way. They form a solid three-storey brick perimeter with sash windows upstairs and stucco downstairs, plus 67 sturdy black doors so similar that you know the whole square must be listed. The spear-topped cast iron railings are listed too, even the replacements for those whipped off in the war, shielding a basement level with no direct street access. You could easily imagine nanny stepping out and carefully wheeling a large pram down the steps while cook prepares luncheon for the mistress in the scullery. But appearances can be deceptive, as with so many heritage facades, because it turns out many of these family homes have subsequently been converted laterally into flats across two or three house widths, or so the Residents Association tells us.

The glaringly obvious presence here is the church, built in 1824 in Greek Revival style by Francis Octavius Bedford who's also responsible for St John's in Waterloo. The belltower has a stopped clock and a twiddly octagonal lantern on top; the portico has six columns and three pesky steps up to the main doors. However Holy Trinity stopped being a church in 1968 because there were far too many round here to support the postwar population, after which the interior was repurposed as an open hall for orchestral use. It's now Henry Wood Hall, a rehearsal and recording space for orchestras and smaller groups of classical musicians, so don't expect to get inside for a concert but if you fiddle or blow you might get lucky.

As for the garden that's currently gorgeous with pink and white blossom bursting forth and the last of the daffodils making way for later blooms. At its heart is an eight-foot-high statue of King Alfred with a frankly astonishing pedigree, the top half being about 200 years old and the bottom half being Roman. It's believed the lower chunk formed part of a colossal sculpture dedicated to Minerva in a temple on nearby Watling Street, and was carved from Cotswold limestone during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. It is thus, at least in part, arguably London's oldest statue. You can only see it from beyond the railings, however, unless you're a resident or their guest and willing to abide by the list of rules posted by the gate. No exercising with kettle bells, no bicycles, no entry before 7am and no children's parties without permission.

Other sights around the square include a rare K2 telephone box, the arms of Trinity House atop a wall and several patent self-locking manhole covers by Hayward's of Borough. More temporary manifestations include workmen repointing the stonework round the church, a brown trailer that's sometimes used to sell salt beef and the second-hand book stall that manifests outside number 57 on a Sunday. I note we're also approaching the AGM of the Trinity Newington Residents' Association at the end of the month, which last year was held at Henry Wood Hall but this year's venue is a wine bar round the back of Borough station so a bit of a climbdown. Watch out for Trinity Church Square next time you're cycling through, and when you reach the ornamental barrier where you have to get off feel free to shake a fist at the TNRA because that's one of theirs.

posted 07:00 :