Behind the art deco splendour of Barker's Department Store, this
square is one of the oldest in London.
Kensington Square was laid out in 1685 and still has a few of its early-18th
century houses. The square became an important artistic haunt in the 19th
century, attracting such artists as Edward Burne-Jones, the Pre-Raphaelite
painter and illustrator, who lived at No. 41.
An array of blue plaques denote other famous former residents of Kensington
Square, including two leading figures of the 19th century: the novelist William
Makepeace Thackery, who lived at No. 16 and the renowned philosopher John Stuart
Mill, at No. 18.
