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Trafalgar Square Map, Nelson's Column & Tourist Information, UK

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Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column

Cafe on the Square

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's Column
Nelson's Column.

Nelson on the top of his Column
Nelson on the top of his 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 the Location of Nelsons Column on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Nelsons Column Lions

Nelsons Column Lion
One of the 4 Nelsons Column's Lions

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 the Location of Nelsons Column Lion on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Trafalgar Square Fountains

Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square Fountains.

Trafalgar Square Foutain
Trafalgar Square Fountain
Photo by Ewan-M

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 the Location of Trafalgar Square East & West Fountains on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Trafalgar Square Statues

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

  • The Fourth Plinth is probably the most famous public exibit location for art commission in the world.

Ship in Giant Bottle on a Plinth
Nelsons Ship in Giant Bottle on an Exibition Plinth. By Yinka Shonibare CBE

Exibitions on this plinth keep changing

Ship in Bottle & Nelsons Column
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.
  • 2010 Ship in a bottle by Yinka Shonibare's MBE. A model of HMS Victory in a huge glass bottle.
  • 2012 by Hew Locke (better known as Boy on a Rocking Horse)
  • 2013 Blue Cockerel by Katharina Fritsch
  • 2015 Gift Horse, Hans Haacke, (Metal Skeleton)
  • 2016 Really Good, David Shrigley (Hand with elongated Thumb)
  • 2018 The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist, Michael Rakowitz (Recration of a a winged bull destroyed by ISIS in 2015)
  • 2019 The End by Heather Phillipson’s (Cherry on Whipped Cream)
  • 2022 Antelope by Samson Kambalu (African wearing hats protest statue)

London's Official Centre

Charles I by Le Sueur Trafalgar Square
Charles I by Le Sueur Trafalgar Square.

  • Charles I, the king who was beheaded outside the Banqueting House
  • 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 Equestrian Statue of Charles I replaced the "Charing Cross", a memorial cross, placed there by Edward I after the death of his wife Queen Eleanor in 1290.

See the Location of Centre of London on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Worlds Smallest Police Station

World Smallest Police Station
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 the Location of Worlds Smallest Police Station on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Demonstrators Camp in Trafalgar Square

Demonstrators Camp Trafalgar Square
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 the Location of Demonstrators Camp in Trafalgar Square on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

The National Gallery

National Portrait Gallery
National Gallery.on the North side of Travalgar Square

  • 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 located on the northern (uphill) side of Trafalgar Square
  • The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

National Gallery Website

See the Location of National Gallery on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery
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 galleryhas 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 the Location of National Portrait Gallery on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

St Martin in the Field Church

St Martin in the Field
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 cafehas 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 the Location of St Martin in the Field on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Cafe on the Square

The Cafe on the Squarehas 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 the Location of Cafe on the Square on our Trafalgar Square Attraction Map

Heritage Wardens

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

Night BusMaps & Day Bus Maps

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

Bus Routes to/ from Trafalgar Square

London Underground - Tube Station

Londin UndergroundThe nearest tube station is called 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 Trafalgar 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 the 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 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.

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