Leicester Square

Leicester Square sits in London's West End between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square and has been the cinema heart of Britain since the 1930s. The square was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields around the Earl of Leicester's new town house and remained a fashionable address into the 18th century, home to painters William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. Today it is ringed by large cinemas such as the Odeon Luxe and the Empire, which host Hollywood and British premieres, often with red carpets and a cordoned-off forecourt. At its centre stands a small 1874 Shakespeare statue together with bronze figures of Charlie Chaplin, Mary Poppins and Mr. Bean set into the paving redesigned in 2012. By evening the fully pedestrianised plaza fills with theatregoers, street performers and tourists heading for the surrounding pubs and musical houses.