With an area of 13 acres, Vincent Square is the largest privately owned square in London. In the 18th century, Head Master William Vincent paid for a ditch to be dug to enclose the area for the use of the pupils at Westminster School, and that has remained its purpose ever since. It is presently surrounded by multiple buildings of architectural note, nine of which have statutory recognition and protection.
Prior to Head Master Vincent’s intervention, the land had been part of Tothill Fields. Reported previous uses of this area include a plague pit, a jail, and a bear-baiting den. In the Second World War the railings that enclosed the square were coopted for the war effort and the space was used for A.R.P. trenches and air raid shelters. A mammoth irrigation and drainage project has recently been carried out, leaving the fields playable even in periods of adverse weather.
The Pavilion that sits on Vincent Square is over 130 years old, with many evolutions over its lifespan. A recent renovation has enlarged the space but remained complementary to the original architecture. The names of the First Eleven teams for both football and cricket since the 19th century are displayed in the space on painted wooden boards.
