Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is a stylish and fashionable district of central London renowned for its elegant streets and ornate garden squares.

It is also an area rich in culture with a proud literary, medical and academic heritage. Famous institutions located in Bloomsbury include the British Museum, RADA, University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Types of residential property in Bloomsbury

A feature of the area is its eclectic mix of architectural styles that range from picture-perfect Georgian and Victorian terraces surrounding beautiful garden squares to dramatic buildings inspired by the 1950s Brutalist movement, as well as contemporary new-build apartments.

Location and transport links

Bloomsbury is situated in central London between Euston Road and Holborn, on the doorstep of both the West End and the City of London.

Stations in the area include Tottenham Court Road (Central and Northern lines), Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines), Chancery Lane (Central line), Russell Square (Piccadilly line) and King’s Cross St Pancras ( Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines).

Its already excellent transport links will improve further still when the Elizabeth line opens, giving super-fast access east and west across the capital from Tottenham Court Road. There are several bus routes through Bloomsbury, including night buses.

Shopping and entertainment

Bloomsbury is full of hidden gems, and we highly recommend heading out on foot to find the best places. One of our favourite streets in the area is Lamb’s Conduit Street, a rarity in London (or any major city for that matter) in that it is free from the ubiquitous chains and comprises only independent shops, bars, pubs and restaurants.

It is said that one of Bloomsbury’s most famous literary figures, Charles Dickens, was often to be found enjoying a tipple or two in the pubs in Lamb’s Conduit Street. The frosted glass installed over a hundred years ago to ensure the privacy of its patrons and their mischief remains in place in the same pubs to this day.

The grade II listed Brunswick Centre in Russell Square is a Brutalist classic comprising 550 flats and a shopping centre that includes a Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Boots as well as bars, restaurants, cafés and a Curzon cinema.

The British Museum sits at the heart of Bloomsbury and no less impressive than any of its incredible artefacts is its glass-covered central quadrangle, the Great Court, designed by Foster and Partners. The museum houses more than 60 galleries, a reading room as well as restaurants, café and cinema.

Green space and activities

Bloomsbury is famous for its squares and gardens, and its green spaces are arguably unrivalled in London. Bloomsbury Square is the largest and best-known, but all have their own charm and are worth a visit.

The green space with the most unusual history is Coram Fields, set on the former site of Thomas Corman’s Founding Hospital, which was established in 1747 as a safe haven for unwanted children. Today, it is a park and playground for children under the age of 16 but beware, no adult can enter without a child.

There are a number of gyms and exercise studios in the area including central London’s largest gym, the YMCA in Great Russell Street, which includes a 25m swimming pool. 

Schools

There are several primary schools in and around Bloomsbury rated as ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ by Ofsted including St Clement Danes Primary School, which is rated as ‘outstanding’. There are no secondary schools in Bloomsbury but Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, which has been visited twice by Michelle Obama, is only a mile away and rated as ‘outstanding’.