Lonsdale Square was built 1838-45 by Richard Cromwell Carpenter,
surveyor to the Drapers' Company Estate. In 1690 the Drapers'
Company had inherited the land, known as 'Gosseyfield' and once
used to pen cattle on the way to Smithfield Market. Carpenter was a
church architect and had designed De Beauvoir Square in Hackney,
which also features paired houses in distinctive Tudor Gothic
style. Unlike most of Islington's squares, the garden remained
private until the 1960s, when it was offered to Islington Borough
Council for the nominal sum of £50. The railings, removed in WW2,
were replaced in the early 1970s, when the garden was restored.
Watch out for Mabel the cat, who according to her tag lives at
No. 6 Lonsdale Square. She's aware of the cache location, is very
friendly, and is looking forward to meeting some geocachers.
