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Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column
Cafe on the Square Countdown Clock 2012 Olympics Demonstrators Camp in Trafalgar Square Heritage Wardens London's Dead Centre National Gallery National Portrait Gallery Nelson's Column Nelsons Column Lions St Martin in the Field Church Trafalgar Square Fountains Trafalgar Square Statues
The Square was again redesigned in 2003 when the road in front of National Gallery was closed to traffic. Steps were built producing a high terrace in front of the National Gallery with toilets one one side of the steps and a cafe on the other. There is a lift on ether side of the steps from the high terrace to the main portion of Trafalgar square.
Trafalgar Square is at the very heart of London and the centre point for events, filming, rallies, professional photo shoots, promotions and demonstrations.
The Square was started in 1820 and a major redesign in 1845, and recently in 2003.
Nelson's Column
Nelson on Column
The magnificent Nelson's Column with a height of just over 169 ft (just under 52 metres) to the top of tricorn hat, was built in 1840 and 1843.
The monument was constructed to commemorate the victory by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 over Napoleon Bonaparte's French fleet.
The Statue on top of the column is 18 feet (5.5 metres) high and sculptured from sandstone by E. H. Baily .
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758 - 1805)
Joined the navy at only 12 years old and was a captain by 20.
He quickly gained rank after many victorious engagements with the enemy ending with his most famous battle of the Trafalgar Cape in Spain.
Battle of Trafalgar
Before the battle Admiral Nelson sent the message from his ship The Victory to the English fleet 'England expects that every man will do his duty'
This battle saved England from invasion by the French, but Nelson was hit by a musket ball and died soon after. His body was pickled in a barrel of Brandy and returned to England for a state funeral.
See Location of Nelsons Column on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
Nelsons Column Lion
The 4 bronze Lions at the base of Nelsons Column, one at each corner of the Square Plinth, were added to the monument 4 years after the erection of the column.
The Lions are the most famous work of Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, a brilliant painter of horses, dogs and stags.
It is said that he had never see a lion and designed the Lions from photographs and used one of his dogs as a model. Look carefully at the pose of lions and you can see that it is nearer to a dog than a lion and also the position of the tongue in the panting mouth is more dog like. A lions tongue is held more in the mouth behind the canine teeth.
See Location of Nelsons Column Lion on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
Although the 2 fountains are attractive there function was to reduce the amount of open space in the Trafalgar Square, thus reducing the number of people who could demonstrate.
The top photograph of the fountains in Trafalgar Square was taken a few days after the fountain pump station sprang a leak and closed down the Bakerloo line at Charing Cross tube station. Damaging the Escalators & machine room
The bottom photograph shows the fountain in it's working beauty, with the National Gallery (left) & St Martin in the Field Church (left).
See Location of Trafalgar Square East & West Fountains on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
.
General Sir Charles James Napier
1782 – 1853
Was a great great grandson of King Charles II. and had a distinguished career in the army fighting in Spain against Napoleon Bonaparte. Later he served in India putting down several uprisings.
One of his comments on the practice of Sati, where widows were burnt alive on their husbands funeral pyre. "You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre and beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."
Located near the south west corner of Trafalgar Square
Major General Sir Henry Havelock
1795 – 1857
Havelock served with distinction in Burma 1824–1826, Afghan War in 1839 then in India. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857 where he conducted an arduous campaign he died from dysentery. Just before his death he received a baronetcy.
Located near the south east corner of Trafalgar Square
King George IV
1762 – 26 June 1830
King George IV, the son of King George III, the supposedly mad king but was likely to be the hereditary disease porphyria.
As Prince regent he led a flamboyant lifestyle and regarded as a dandy and had several mistresses. The Regency style was created at this time
He had the Royal Pavilion at Brighton built.
Located near the north east corner of Trafalgar Square
The Fourth Plinth
Ship in Bottle Fourth Plinth
Ship in Bottle & Nelsons Column
The Fourth Plinth near the north west corner was meant to hold an equestrian statue but remained empty for many years.
Now the display on the plinth is changed on a regular basis and there have been some weird & wonderful displays there that have included innovative artworks.
2011 Ship in a bottle by Yinka Shonibare's MBE. A model of HMS Victory in a huge glass bottle.
2012 Boy on a Rocking Horse by Hew Locke
2013 Blue Cockerel by Mariele Neudecker
London's Official Centre
Charles I by Le Sueur Trafalgar Square
In the centre of the roundabout 40 metres south of Nelsons column is the Equestrian Statue of Charles I by Hubert Le Sueur a French sculptor.
This is "The dead Centre of London" where all mileage measurements are made from. Look for a small plaque on the floor.
Charing Cross
The statue replaced the "Charing Cross", a memorial cross, placed there by Edward I after the death of his wife Queen Eleanor in 1290.
See Location of Centre of London on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
World Smallest Police Station
If you did not know what it is you would walk straight past thinking it was an ornate lamp
Before the days of police radios the police used police whistles and police boxes to communicate.
The blue painted police box similar to the old GPO (General Post Office) red telephone box but bigger, and made famous by the TV show 'Doctor Who' On top of the box was a light that would flash when a message was available to the policeman on the beat.
So a police box & not a station is what you have in Trafalgar Square, but designed to fit in with the decor of the Square. A police man could discreetly watch proceedings in the Square which from is start was a centre point for demonstrations.
The box is now used for storage by cleaners
See Location of Worlds Smallest Police Station on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
Demonstrators Camp in Trafalgar Square
Because it has plenty of open space & is located in central London Trafalgar Square is often used for demonstrations.
In the photograph is a small encampment of protestors tents & banners.
See Location of Demonstrators Camp in Trafalgar Square on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
Countdown Clock 2012 Olympics
A large21 feet (6.5 metre) digital Countdown Clock for the 2012 Olympics was unveiled in Trafalgar Square, 500 days before the start of the2012 Games.
The clock caused some embarrassment when it stopped working on it's first day. The clock was restarted the following day
The photograph shows:
- 3 girls taking photographs or posing in front of the clock
- Tents on the right & behind them:
- The Cafe on the Square
- Backed by St Martin in the Field Church
- In the left background is The National Gallery
See Location of Countdown Clock 2012 Olympics on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
National Gallery
The National Gallery displays one of the greatest collections of Western European painting in the world
With the really famous artists such as
Johannes Vermee, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo. Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Titian Vincent van Gogh, and hundreds of others
The gallery also offers superb ways of discovering paintings with Gallery talks & online guides
National Gallery Opening hours:
Daily 10am – 6pm, Fridays 10am – 9pm
National Gallery Location
The National Gallery is the imposing building with located on the northern (uphill) side of Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
National Gallery Google Street view
See Location of National Gallery on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery holds 160,000 portraits of famous Britons. from the 16th Century to the present day
The Gallery:
- Holds Expeditions
- Has a shop with a very wide selection of prints & other art materials
National Gallery Opening hours:
Daily 10:00-18:00
Extended until 21:00 on
Thursday and Friday.
National Portrait Gallery Location
The gallery is located just around the corner from The National Gallery in
Nearest Tube Stations
Leicester Square 195 metres
Charing Cross 230 metres
Address
St Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE
See Location of National Portrait Gallery on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
St Martin in the Field Church
St Martin in the Field is a Church of England church
The church runs 1.00pm lunchtime musical concerts on Wednesday night Jazz Nights in the crypt Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
St Martin in the Field Cafe
The cafe is located in the18th century brick vaulted crypt and serves Breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas and evening dinners.
Opening Times
Monday and Tuesday 8.00am – 8.00pm
Wednesday 8.00am – 10.30pm
(Jazz Night ticket holders only after 7.00pm)
Thursday–Saturday 8.00am – 9.00pm
Sunday 11.00am – 6.00pm
Location St Martin in the Field Church
While facing the north (uphill) the church is on the right of Trafalgar Square, near the National Gallery on the other side of the road, St Martin's Place
See Location of St Martin in the Field on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
The Cafe on the Square is located in the north east corner of Trafalgar Square and built under the Terrace in front of The National Gallery.
Seating is available both inside the cafe or out on the Square
Opening Times
Daily 10am to 6pm and later when events are on the square.
See Location of Cafe on the Square on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
You will see Heritage Wardens in there uniforms 24/7 in Trafalgar Square.
They are there to help & assist visitors & tourists and to ensure that they are safe.
They are very knowledgeable about the Squares history and the local area & other attractions
Trafalgar Square is London's central Point for many of it's Night Buses
The Night bus service combined with the normal day services gives a 24 hour coverage for central London
night buses serve Trafalgar Square. The following routes start/end near the square: 53, N2, N5, N18, N20, N21, N26, N29, N41, N47, N50, N89, N91, N97, N279, and N381, and these routes go past the square: 6, 12, 23, 24, 88, 139, 176, 453, N3, N9, N11, N13, N15, N36, N44, N52, N77, N155, N159, N343.
Many night buses are every 15 minutes.
Bus routes running through Trafalgar Square: 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 53, 77A, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453
Download Day Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square
Download Night Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square to/ from the North East
Download Night Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square to/ from the North West
Download Night Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square to/ from the South East
Download Night Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square to/ from the South West
The nearest tube station is Charing Cross with an entrance located in the south east corner of Trafalgar Square 20 metres from Nelsons Column
There is no longer a tube station named Travalgar Square it has been renamed to Charing Cross.
Please note that there are some long walks between some of the lines at Charing Cross at it may be better to change lines at another station
See Location of Tube Station on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map
The Tube Underground
Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) is the closest Tube station, with an entrance/exit on Trafalgar Square.
The following stations are within a few minutes' walk: Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines) Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines) Embankment (Bakerloo, Northern, District and Circle lines)
Bus routes running through Trafalgar Square: 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 53, 77A, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453
night buses serve Trafalgar Square. The following routes start/end near the square: 53, N2, N5, N18, N20, N21, N26, N29, N41, N47, N50, N89, N91, N97, N279, and N381, and these routes go past the square: 6, 12, 23, 24, 88, 139, 176, 453, N3, N9, N11, N13, N15, N36, N44, N52, N77, N155, N159, N343.
London Transport
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or use the London Journey Planner
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