London has so many great little squares dotted about, and Hanover Square in the City of Westminster is one of them.
One of the best things about
Hanover Square is its position. Tucked away behind both Regent Street and Oxford Street, few shoppers going up and down those famous thoroughfares will have heard of Hanover Square, and fewer still could tell you exactly where it is.
On a sunny day, however, a fair few office workers will make their way there, enjoying a quick bite to eat while getting a dose of vitamin D.
Though the square isn't packed with trees, there are a fair few planted around its border, providing shelter from the sun if desired, as well as cutting down on traffic noise.
The square was first laid out in the early part of the 18th century. Gloriously grand townhouses were built around it, a few of which remain to this day.
Diagonal paths run from the square's corners to its centre, crossing in the middle. You'll find a pond and a fountain at its northern end. At the opposite end of the square you'll find a bronze statue of William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806), who at just 24 years of age became Britain's youngest prime minister, in 1783.
Hanover Square isn't as large as, for example, nearby
Berkeley Square, but it's no less charming and some may even prefer its diminutive size.
A two-minute walk south from Hanover Square you can find one of the area's most famous churches -
St. George's. Open from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, you might want to combine it with a visit to the square. Then again, you might be itching to get back onto Oxford Street and Regent Street. It really all depends on what you worship.