Windrush Square, London (2006)

Windrush Square (often referred to by its original name, Brixton Oval[1]) is an open public space in the centre of Brixton, South London,[2] occupying an area in front of the Brixton Tate Library. After changing its name to Tate Gardens, it was again retitled and given its current moniker in 1998.[3] The square was renamed to recognise the important contribution of the African Caribbean community to the area, marking the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush.[4] It was the Windrush that in 1948 brought to the United Kingdom from Jamaica the first large group of post-war West Indian migrants (almost 500), who on arrival were temporarily housed less than a mile away from Coldharbour Lane in Brixton.[5][6]

The organization Black Cultural Archives is now housed at 1 Windrush Square in a Grade II-listed Georgian building, the former Raleigh Hall.[7]

On 22 June 2017, the African and Caribbean War Memorial – devised by the Nubian Jak Community Trust as the United Kingdom's first national memorial to African and Caribbean service personnel who fought in the First and Second World Wars – was unveiled in Windrush Square.[8][9][10]

Windrush Square is a pedestrianised open space.[11] The land is protected from development as it was formerly part of Rush Common.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Rosen, Jody (10 November 2014). "The Knowledge, London's Legendary Taxi-Driver Test, Puts up a Fight in the Age of GPS". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Couceiro, Sofia (23 April 2015). "Windrush Square: The historical centre of Brixton". London Live. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "Brixton Windrush Square opens", Urban 75, 27 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "The story of the Windrush". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "London Borough of Lambeth | A short history of Brixton". Lambeth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Biedka, Elizabeth (9 June 2014). "A history of Windrush Square". Eden Harper.
  7. ↑ "Black Cultural Archives is coming home 24 July 2014 – Black Cultural Archives moves back to Brixton and into a new heritage centre", Lambeth Talk, June 2014.
  8. ↑ Quinn, Linda (26 May 2017). "Brixton's Windrush Square to be home of the brave". Brixton Blog. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Spark, Stephen (23 May 2017). "Brixton memorial will honour African and Caribbean troops". Soca News. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "First ever memorial to African and Caribbean Service Personnel unveiled in Brixton". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "History of Windrush Square". The Brixton Society. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Parks | Rush Common". Lambeth Council. Retrieved 19 April 2022.

51°27′38″N 0°06′55″W / 51.4606°N 0.1152°W / 51.4606; -0.1152

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.