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Euston Square Gardens

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Coordinates: 51°31′39″N 0°07′54″W / 51.5274°N 0.1317°W / 51.5274; -0.1317
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The gardens in March 2008

Euston Square Gardens is a public garden on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden.

The gardens are the northern gardens of the former residential Euston Square, the southern gardens were renamed Endsleigh Gardens.[1]

The gardens are enclosed by railings and covered with grass and London plane trees.[1] The two lodges at the gardens date from 1870 and were once the entrance to Euston station. They are inscribed with the names of the London and North Western Railway.[1]

A worksite for High Speed 2 and the proposed Euston St Pancras railway station is situated at the gardens. This is to construct an underground pedestrian link between Euston railway station and Euston Square tube station.[2]

Protest

[edit]
HS2 protesters in September 2020

A protest camp against HS2 was set up in the park in September 2020.[3] This included a tall construction made largely of pallets that the protestors dubbed “Buckingham Pallets”.[4]

It was revealed in January 2021 that protesters had built a 100ft tunnel under the gardens as part of protests against the planned High Speed 2 railway.[5] Nine activists occupied the tunnels starting 27 January as part of the protest.[6][7] The first protester left the tunnel on February 5[8] A second protester left on the 6th.[9] A third left on the 15th and a fourth on the 17th.[10][11] A 5th was evicted on the 23rd and a further 3 left on the 25th.[12][13] The final protester left on the 26th.[14]

In March, a freedom of information request revealed that the Metropolitan Police had spent £140,000 on policing the tunnels during the removal of the protesters.[15]

Euston Square Gardens sign in 2020

Historic maps

[edit]
  • The East and West Euston Square Gardens at the centre of an 1874 Ordnance Survey map[16]
    The East and West Euston Square Gardens at the centre of an 1874 Ordnance Survey map[16]
  • The evolution of the gardens are visible on this 1895 Ordnance Survey map after renaming[17]
    The evolution of the gardens are visible on this 1895 Ordnance Survey map after renaming[17]
  • The encroaching boundaries of Euston railway station to the gardens are visible on this 1953 Ordnance Survey map[18]
    The encroaching boundaries of Euston railway station to the gardens are visible on this 1953 Ordnance Survey map[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Euston Square Gardens". London Gardens Online - Euston Square Gardens. London Parks & Gardens Trust. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Crossrail 2 factsheet: Euston St Pancras station" (PDF). October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  3. ^ Foot, Tom (4 September 2020). "Protest camp aims to save ancient trees from HS2 axe". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 7 February 2021. 
  4. ^ Russell, Anna (13 January 2022). "The Eco-Protesters Who Live in Tunnels". The New yorker. Retrieved 18 April 2022. 
  5. ^ Diane Taylor (27 January 2021). "On Swampy ground: a brief history of protest tunnelling in the UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  6. ^ Taylor, Diane (1 February 2021). "'I couldn't be prouder': Swampy and 16-year-old son in HS2 tunnel protest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  7. ^ Taylor, Diane (6 February 2021). "Digging, cards and chocolate: HS2 activists on life in Euston tunnel". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. ^ Taylor, Diane (5 February 2021). "HS2 activist escapes bailiffs and heads back into Euston tunnels". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2021. 
  9. ^ Taylor, Diane (6 February 2021). "HS2 activist who evaded bailiffs leaves Euston tunnels". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2021. 
  10. ^ Holland, Lisa (15 February 2021). "HS2: Teenage protester says she learned more in Euston tunnels than at school". Sky News. Retrieved 16 February 2021. 
  11. ^ "HS2 protest: Boy, 16, leaves Euston tunnel". BBC News. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Euston tunnel protest: Dr Larch Maxey removed by bailiffs". BBCNews. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. ^ "HS2 protest: Swampy and two other activists leave Euston tunnel". BBC News. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  14. ^ "HS2 protest: Final activist removed from Euston tunnel". BBC News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Police spent more than £140,000 guarding HS2 protesters' tunnels in Euston". Metro. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  16. ^ 1874 Ordnance Survey map, Digimap. Retrieved 5 March 2018. (subscription required)
  17. ^ 1895 Ordnance Survey map, Digimap. Retrieved 5 March 2018. (subscription required)
  18. ^ 1953 Ordnance Survey map, Digimap. Retrieved 5 March 2018. (subscription required)

51°31′39″N 0°07′54″W / 51.5274°N 0.1317°W / 51.5274; -0.1317

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