Although the today started off wet in London, by lunchtime it had cleared up enough to make a lunchtime stroll possible. In fact, the sun even came out for a while, which is always a welcome visitor!

So today I set off for Bedford Square, reputedly the best preserved Georgian Square in London as far as the architecture is concerned. The University I work for occupies one of the buildings on this Square, and I can confirm that they are as grand on the inside as they are from outside.

But there is one thing that is rather frustrating about the garden in the middle of this square: it is very clearly private, as you can see from the sign, which is repeated on every gate. Only the privileged few can gain access and enjoy a seat in this lovely garden or get close to the crocuses and daffodils currently growing there. This also means that it is very difficult for those who have to make do with staying on the outside of the garden to get a true sense of the magnificent consistency and symmetry still to be found in the architecture of the Square, as it is impossible to find a position that gives a good vantage point from which to take in all sides at once.

This photo shows the centre buildings on the north side of the Square, but from outside the garden it’s not really possible to get far enough away to avoid the distortion that comes from a wide-angle shot.

But it does still give a sense of the grandeur of the buildings. A similar building sits at the centre of the south side of the Square, with slightly smaller versions of the same on the east and west sides.

Below are some other photos that I took in Bedford Square today. The first two show the east side and the north-east corner, while those below show a plaque commemorating the founding of the first Higher Education establishment for women in Britain and next to that one of the heads that can be found above almost every doorway in the Square.

Finally, here is a shot of some daffodils growing in the central garden, but taken from behind and from quite a distance, because I was trapped outside the railings!