Finsbury Square is a 0.7 hectares (1.7 acre) square in central London

Central London

Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...

. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's

St Luke's

St Luke's is an area in the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London near the Barbican and Shoreditch. It takes its name from the church of St Luke's, on Old Street west of the tube station. The area extends north of the church to City Road and south to Finsbury Square and...

 and near Moorfields

Moorfields

In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...

. It is sited on the east side of City Road

City Road

City Road or The City Road is a road that runs through inner north and central London. The northwestern extremity of the road is at the Angel, Islington where it forms a continuation of Pentonville Road. Pentonville Road itself is the modern name for London's first bypass, the New Road from...

, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields

Bunhill Fields

Bunhill Fields is a cemetery in the London Borough of Islington, north of the City of London, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It is about 4 hectares in extent, although historically was much larger....

. It is approximately 200m north of Moorgate

Moorgate station

Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...

 and 400m south of Old Street

Old Street station

Old Street station is a central London National Rail and London Underground station located at the junction of Old Street and City Road just north of the City of London. It lies close to the border between the boroughs of Islington and Hackney...

. Nearby locations are Finsbury Circus

Finsbury Circus

Finsbury Circus is an elliptical square with its long axis lying east-west in the City of London, England; with an area of 2.2 hectares it is the largest public open space within the City's boundaries. It has an immaculately maintained Lawn Bowls club in the centre, which has existed in the gardens...

 and Finsbury Pavement

Finsbury Pavement

Finsbury Pavement is a street connecting Moorgate with City Road in the London Borough of Islington. It forms a part of the A501 London Inner Ring Road, and before the introduction of the ring of steel formed a major through route to London Bridge and south London.-History:The name was formerly...

.

It is served by bus routes 21, 43

London Buses route 43

London Buses route 43 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, 141

London Buses route 141

London Buses route 141 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is contracted to Arriva London.-History:...

, 271

London Buses route 271

London Buses route 271 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, 214

London Buses route 214

London Buses route 214 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

 and 274.

History

Past residents of the square include Pascoe Grenfell Hill

Pascoe Grenfell Hill

Pascoe Grenfell Hill was a priest in the Church of England and an author.-Life:Hill, son of Major Thomas Hill, was born at Marazion, Cornwall, on 15 May 1804. He was educated at Mill Hill School, London, and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated B.A. in 1836...

, Thomas Southwood Smith

Thomas Southwood Smith

Thomas Southwood Smith , English physician and sanitary reformer, was born at Martock, Somersetshire.While a medical student in Edinburgh he took charge of a Unitarian congregation. In 1816 he took his M.D...

 and Philip Henry Pye-Smith

Philip Henry Pye-Smith

Philip Henry Pye-Smith was a physician, medical scientist and educator. His interest was physiology, specialising in skin diseases....

. It has also been the site of the bookshop of James Lackington

James Lackington

James Lackington was a bookseller who is credited with revolutionizing the British book trade. A shoemaker's son trained as a cobbler, he showed early initiative, selling pies and cakes in the street when aged 10...

 and the first home of the rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

nical seminary

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 that became the London School of Jewish Studies (1855–81), of the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Sophia

Saint Sophia (London)

Saint Sophia Cathedral is a Greek Orthodox church on Moscow Road in the Bayswater area of London.It was consecrated as the Church of St Sophia on 5 February 1882 by Antonios, Archbishop of Corfu, as a focus for the prosperous Greek community that had settled in London, particularly around...

 and of the Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Moorfields

St Mary Moorfields

St Mary Moorfields is a Roman Catholic church in the City of London. The present building, located at 4-5 Eldon Street, was opened in 1903. However, the foundation had a long history prior to this...

 (1820–1900). The Square's Guildhall

Guildhall

A guildhall, or guild hall, is a building historically used by guilds for meetings and other purposes. It is also the official or colloquial name for many of these specific buildings, now often used as town halls or museums....

 is still the HQ of the City of London Yeomanry.

More recently, on 22 October 2011, Occupy London

Occupy London

Occupy London is an ongoing peaceful protest and demonstration against economic inequality, the lack of affordability of housing in the United Kingdom, social injustice, corporate greed and the influence of companies and lobbyists on government taking place in London, United Kingdom, which started...

protesters began to camp on the Square.