Windrush Square

Windrush Square is an open public space in the centre of Brixton, South London,[1] occupying an area in front of the Brixton Tate Library that was originally known as the Brixton Oval, and then Tate Gardens.[2] The square was renamed to recognise the important contribution of the African Caribbean community to the area, marking the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush. It was the Windrush that in 1948 brought to the United Kingdom from Jamaica the first large group of post-war West Indian migrants (almost 500), who on arrival were temporarily housed less than a mile away from Coldharbour Lane in Brixton.[3][4]

Windrush Square, London (2006)

The organization Black Cultural Archives is now housed at 1 Windrush Square in a Grade II-listed Georgian building, the former Raleigh Hall.[5]

On 22 June 2017, the African and Caribbean War Memorial, the United Kingdom's national memorial to African and Caribbean service personnel who fought in the First and Second World Wars, was unveiled in Windrush Square.[6][7]

The land is protected from development as it was formerly part of Rush Common.

References
  1. Sofia Couceiro, "Windrush Square: The historical centre of Brixton", London Live, 23 April 2015.
  2. "Brixton Windrush Square opens", Urban 75, 27 February 2010.
  3. "London Borough of Lambeth | A short history of Brixton". Lambeth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013.
  4. Elizabeth Biedka, "A history of Windrush Square", Eden Harper, 9 June 2014.
  5. "Black Cultural Archives is coming home 24 July 2014 – Black Cultural Archives moves back to Brixton and into a new heritage centre", Lambeth Talk, June 2014.
  6. "First ever memorial to African and Caribbean Service Personnel unveiled in Brixton", Times Caribbean, 27 June 2017.
  7. African and Caribbean Memorial website.

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