Winckley Square

Winckley Square
Georgian buildings on the east side of Winckley Square
Winckley Square is located in Preston city centre
Winckley Square
Winckley Square
Location in Preston city centre
LocationPreston, Lancashire, England
Coordinates53°45′22″N 2°42′07″W / 53.756°N 2.702°W / 53.756; -2.702
Operated byPreston City Council
Websitewww.winckleysquare.org.uk
The statue of Robert Peel, at the east entrance to the square
Winckley Square gardens

Winckley Square is situated near the centre of Preston, Lancashire, England, at the west end of Avenham.

The history of Winckley Square has been documented by Marian Roberts.[1]

The square was first established in 1801, around Town End Field owned by Thomas Winckley, as an exclusive residential area for the town's gentry. It is now occupied mostly by insurance, legal and other business offices, although some residential developments have recently been made. The square's gardens, now an open public park, originally consisted of private plots, each owned by a resident.[2][3][4] A statue of Sir Robert Peel stands on one side of the central gardens opposite Cross Street, erected by public subscription in 1852.[5]

An Italian-style villa was built in 1850 on the south corner of Cross Street (number 11), which was later used as a County Court office from the 1940s. It was demolished in 1969. On the opposite corner (number 10) was the Winckley Club, a gentlemen's club, and next to it, in Cross Street, the Literary and Philosophical Institution (later called Dr Shepherd's Library and Museum), both built in 1846 and both now demolished.[6][7] The suffragette Edith Rigby lived at number 28.

Winckley Street lies between Winckley Square and Preston's main street of Fishergate. Today it is home to mainly professional and religious service providers, including solicitors practices, a translation company, a Jesuit presbytery (taking up the majority of the northern buildings adjacent to St Wilfrids Church) as well as restaurants.[8]

  1. ^ Roberts, Marian (2009). The Story of Winckley Square, Preston (2nd ed.). Preston, UK: Preston Historical Society. ISBN 978-0956109804.
  2. ^ Sartin, p.43
  3. ^ Hunt, p.173
  4. ^ Garlington, p.10
  5. ^ "History" > "Peel Statue" at Winckley Square accessed 11 December 2007
  6. ^ Garlington, p.13
  7. ^ Hunt, pp.173–175
  8. ^ Google Maps at http://maps.google.co.uk