Quote: Trafalgar Square is one of the most iconic places in London and despite being crowded, busy, still traffic-filled (though the removal of the lanes that used to separate the National Gallery from the middle bit definitely helped) and polluted, a definite must-see. In fact, it's an excellent placed to start a one-day (or a first-day) tour of London.

The Square is centred, appropriately for its name, on the Nelson's Column, flanked by four bronze lions. The northern side of the Square is filled with the imposing but attractive building of the National Gallery (fabulous collection of classic art, and free to enter) to which the traffic-free Northern Terrace raises. To the east one can admire the colonnade and spire of the beautiful church of St Martin in the Fields. To the south-west, Admiralty Arch leads to the Mall. Neo-classical Canada and South Africa Houses flank the square in the west and east respectively. Whitehall and Strand extend out from the southern part of the Square. There are fountains and other statuary dotted around and altogether it's not a bad space at all.

It reeks imperial grandeur, obviously, as it was designed and built at the very height of the Victorian might. One can see most of the structures on the square as playing tribute to the might of Imperial Britannia. And yet, the Trafalgar Square is more than a stone-bound triumphal march. It has been a place of political demonstrations, cultural events and rowdy celebrations from its beginnings. Some of these had imprimatur of the official governments of the time, others didn't – from the 19th century Chartists' meetings to anti-apartheid vigils to poll tax and budget cuts riots.

There is a Norwegian Christmas tree at the Square every year and London's New Year's celebrations took place at there (kind of unofficially, but this is where you went for the bells if you were in central London near midnight) until they were supplanted by the official, organised and spectacular mega-show over the Thames.

Although all distances from London are measured from Charing Cross (which is, nota bene, not far from here), Trafalgar Square is as close as London comes to having a central point. And everybody has to have photo on a lion, of course.
From journals London icons

Quote: A visit to London isn't complete without a trip to Trafalgar Square. Gone are the days when you are mobbed by dirty pigeons, (in fact I didn't notice any on this occassion) since feeding them was banned it seems there are fewer around. The Square itself is found in central London and is small enough to wander around on foot. At it's centre is Nelson's Column, which is a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The square itself is named after this battle, which was a British Naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars. Around the base are 4 lions that lots of people have their photo taken at, including my partner in crime on this trip.

The square really is in the centre of London, just to the south is Charing Cross, from which all distances in London have historically been measured. Nowerdays there are three busy roads around the edge of Trafalgar Square, with a terrace on the northern edge which fronts the National Gallery. While we were there, on a busy, sunny Saturday afternoon, there were a couple of street performers as well as some protestors. Many protests have been held in Trafalgar Square, so I think on any visit it is likely you will see some group stood protesting. On our visit it was a group supporting the 'mourning mothers of Iran'. Stood right next to them was a street artist dressed as one of the crusaders, which I thought was a darkly funny juxtaposition (see photos).

Also on our visit was the infamous clock counting down to the London 2012 Olympic Games, which I suppose is something to go and see in the next year or so. What we found though was that on a sunny day the square was a nice place to watch the world go on around you and soak up some of historical London. From here you can walk up the mall to Buckingham Palace, visit the National Gallery or as we did head down the Strand to Westminster and Big Ben. I think most people will at very least pass through the square on a visit to London and it is worth stopping a while and taking in the atmosphere....that is unless it is raining!


From journals Fun times in London Town

Quote: When it comes to importance, Trafalgar Square, London, can be mentioned together with Tian An Men, Beijing, or the Red Square, Moscow. Situated in the heart of the city it’s a tourist attraction and known world-wide. It ranks as the fourth most popular tourist attraction on earth and is visited by more than 15 million tourists a year. Size-wise, however, a comparison would be ridiculous. You can nearly organise a day out if you want to walk round Tian An Men or the Red Square, whereas you can walk round Trafalgar Square in no time.

Trafalgar Square is owned by the Queen in Right of the Crown and is managed by the Greater London Authority. So, anyone interested in putting a foot on Royal Ground only has to go there. Btw, the original name was to be King William the Fourth’s Square, quite a mouthful. George Ledwell Taylor, an architect and landowner in London, suggested the name Trafalgar Square to commemorate the British victory in the Battle of Trafalgar from 1805 during the Napoleonic War.

Nowadays the central area is surrounded by roadways on three sides, to the east is Strand and South Africa House (and the underground station Charing Cross), to the south Whitehall, to the southwest the Admiralty Arch leading to the Mall, to the west Canada House. The street running in front of the National Gallery to the north has been closed to traffic since 2003. Now it’s possible to walk from Trafalgar Square up a wide flight of stairs to the National Gallery. There are also a lift and public toilets, all in all a vast improvement. Traffic was always dense, and it was no pleasure to cross the street, and the more toilets in public spaces, the better.

The centre piece and landmark of the square is the 51m-high Nelson’s column (the column is 46 m, the statue 5.5 m high) commemorating Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar. The Admiral looks south towards the Palace of Westminster. It was built and erected between 1840 and 1843. Four huge bronze lions lie on the pedestal ‘inviting’ sportive tourists to climb up, sit on their backs and have a photo taken. It may be true or not that the lions are made from the recycled metal of French cannons.

The fountains on the square seem to have been included for aesthetic reasons right from the beginning when Trafalgar Square was built in 1845, but that was not the case. The square has always been a social and political meeting-point, not officially, however, no military parades here showing off the latest tanks and missiles as is the case on the other two squares mentioned above. In order to reduce the open space and the risk of riotous assembly the fountains were erected. The ones we see today are from 1939. Certainly nobody can imagine Trafalgar Square without them. How would people let off steam or show their high spirits if they couldn’t jump into the fountains, preferably on New Year’s Eve? Moscovites hack holes into the ice of the river Moskwa and have a swim. Each to their own.

Talking about Trafalgar Square means also talking about pigeons. The ‘rats of the air’ are everywhere even without being invited. But feeding and thus attracting them is one of the daftest hobbies someone can have. Hopefully, everyone doing this is sh*t upon profusely every now and then. It’s estimated that the flock on Trafalgar Square consisted of about 35.000 birds at its highpoint (lowpoint, rather). They didn’t only dirt the square and damage the stonework but were also considered health hazards. The sale of bird seed was forbidden in 2000, in 2003 the ban was extended, from then on feeding has been forbidden as well.

Last but not least the four plinths in the four corners must be mentioned. Three of them hold statues from the middle of the 19th century: George IV (northeast), Henry Havelock (southeast) and Sir Charles James Napier (southwest). The most interesting plinth is, of course, the fourth in the northwest corner which was to hold a statue of William IV, but due to lack of money it was never completed. Since 1999 several, often controversial, projects have been displayed, with and without official permission. Pity that the idea of erecting a statue of Moby Dick and calling it ‘Plinth of Wales’ was never realised.

From May 2010 until the end of the year 2011 ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ by Anglo-Nigerian artist Yinka Shoinbare stands on the fourth plinth. It’s a large scale replica of the HMS Victory made with sails of African textiles. Shoinbare, "The sails are a metaphor for the global connections of contemporary people. This piece celebrates the legacy of Nelson – and the legacy that victory at the battle of Trafalgar left us is Britain's contact with the rest of the world, which has in turn created the dynamic, cool, funky city that London is."





From journals London's Sights

Quote: I’m not alone in picking this as one of my favorite places in London. Particularly after walking the narrow, claustrophobic side streets (or even the wider Strand), the open space here is exhilarating. Admiral Nelson sits atop his column at the south edge, so high up (150 feet) that he might only be a natural part of your experience if you’re back by the National Gallery on the Square’s northern edge. Otherwise, you’ll be craning your neck to see him. He’s amply guarded by a quartet of dark, metal 20-foot lions. The square honors his most famous victory at Trafalgar in 1805, which saved Britain from invasion in the Napoleonic wars, but cost Nelson his life.

The current version of the Square was assembled and renovated in pieces. It sits at Charing Cross, the junction of the Strand and Whitehall. This was the site of one of 12 Eleanor crosses erected by Edward I. These marked the spots where his beloved wife’s body rested each night as he returned her to London after her death near Lincoln in 1290. John Nash, author of Regent’s Park, was hired by the same client to renovate this area, and Charles Barry completed his work in 1845.

Admiral Nelson arrived in 1846, his 18-foot statue topping the granite pillar. Twenty years later, Landseer’s lions took up their positions around the Admiral. Behind him is a pair of fountains, renovated just before World War II. St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields is in the northeast corner, and at the north edge of the square leads into the steps to the National Gallery, which despite its dome, seems not quite up to the task of framing the square.

Around the edges, Canada House and South Africa House help close the loop. The whole square tilts gently upwards towards the north, where—following the most recent renovation—a new set of stairs ascends to the National Gallery (where, in an odd pairing, James II and George Washington stand on the lawn).

Long before the Square existed, Edward’s original cross was replaced by a statue of Charles I (poor trade, I say), who still sits at the south end of the square. He’s not the only equestrian in the area: four plinths sit more or less in the corners of the square, the one occupied by George IV. Two generals from the India wars sit on other plinths. The northwest, or fourth plinth, sat empty for years, after plans for a statue of William IV fell apart (the square was originally to be named in his honor). A rotating set of pieces has occupied it since then, the most recent being a work of parallel, brightly colored Plexiglas planes by Thomas Schuette entitled Model for a Hotel 2007. I liked it, but had some trouble reconciling it with its surroundings.

Especially now that Mayor Ken Livingstone drove off the pigeons, this is a great place to hang out. We were handicapped on our second attempt to do so by the rainy weather, and congregated under a bus stop while we waited for our bus to the British Museum. It’s a great place at night, too, and has people passing through or sitting still at all hours of the day.

If you’re looking for places to eat in the area, there are a few choices nearby. We had dinner one night at a Pret on the south side of the Square. On a previous visit, we lucked into The Chandos Pub off the southeast corner. Café in the Crypt is in the basement of St. Martin’s in the Fields, in the northeast corner. We stopped in there for a late afternoon snack. The National Gallery has a café at the east end (where we had afternoon tea), and the National Dining Rooms in the western Salisbury Wing.

From journals London, Free and Easy