London is one of the most fascinating cities in the world that keeps secrets of the history of past times, great sights. For the traveler there is the opportunity to discover an innumerable amount of knowledge and information about the culture of Great Britain.
Trafalgar Square in London is one of the most popular and famous places in all of England. It is located at the intersection of the three main streets of London: Mall, Strand and White Hall. This is the place where rallies, parades, demonstrations are held. The square is a London landmark on a level with Big Ben, the British Museum. The square is a favorite place for tourists and residents of London, since it is on it that a huge number of national holidays are held. One of the important features of the square is that it is a “zero kilometer” - the center of London. From it begins the countdown of kilometers along all the roads of the city. It is on it that every year the main Christmas tree of Great Britain is placed, which is sent from Norway in appreciation for getting rid of the invaders in World War II.
History of Trafalgar Square
At first, the territory was called “King William IV Square”, but the name was changed in honor of the symbol of Britain’s victory in the war of 1805. It was built on the spot where the royal stables were located and immediately received the title of central square. In honor of the memory of the war in Britain, there are a large number of exhibits in museums, but Trafalgar Square in Great Britain most of all reveals this topic. In the battle at Cape Trafalgar, the commander of the fleet of England, Admiral Horatio Nelson, died . Trafalgar Square has become a symbol; a column has been erected on it to pay respect to the admiral. The hero was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Nelson's Column
The square, which has become the "heart of London" for all residents, has earned this name for a reason. A monument to the great Admiral Nelson was erected on Trafalgar Square. The column was built in 1842. Its height is 44 meters. At the top of the column is a statue of Nelson himself. The statue is decorated with bronze murals, images of large battles in which the admiral participated. Frescoes made from remelted Napoleonic guns. This column is guarded by four huge lions. The monument on Trafalgar Square is one of the important symbols of all of Britain. This is the story of the people of England.
Monument to Charles I
In the southern part of the square you can see a bronze monument with an interesting and sad history. This is the first statue on a horse that was created in Britain in 1630. Every year on the day of the execution of the king, people lay flowers at the monument. People were executed at this place, therefore, near the monument to Karl there is a shameful pillar on which they executed.
Four Monuments
During the construction of the monument to Admiral Nelson, 4 more monuments were erected in the corners of Trafalgar Square. The first monument depicts George IV. The other two are the great generals Charles Napier and Henry Havelock. The people of England chose these people for the erection of monuments. As for the last, fourth monument, he was not given a name.
Photos of Trafalgar Square can be seen below.
Fourth monument
In the beginning, they wanted to establish a sculpture of William IV as the fourth monument. There were not enough funds for its construction. And until the end of the 90s the pedestal remained empty. Since the 2000s it began to install temporary sculptures of contemporary art of an unusual kind to attract tourists. One of the last monuments was a bottle, which was the layout of the great ship "Victoria". He was commanded by Nelson during the last battle. In 2012, a sculpture of a "boy on a game horse" was staged.
Blue rooster
The most incomprehensible and rebellious statue of the fourth monument is the “Blue Rooster”, installed in 2013. The sculpture stood out radically on Trafalgar Square. The author of this sculpture explained that it was a symbol of strength and recovery.
Admiralty Arch
This is one of the main attractions of London. They began to build it on behalf of Edward VII. So he wanted to preserve the memory of his mother, the majestic Queen Victoria. The arch has five walkways that connect Mall Street and the square. Small passages serve for the movement of pedestrian travelers, and large ones for vehicles. The main passage for ordinary people is closed, it serves only for royalty.
Fountains of Trafalgar Square
Many Londoners and tourists believe that the fountains near the Nelson monument are an important attraction throughout Britain. They were built in 1845 and further improved in the XX century. Fountains are decorated with bronze sculptures of sea maidens and fish. At the last perestroika, a pump was added, which sprays a stream of water up 24 meters, and various lighting.
Art Gallery
The building was founded by George IV. It is located behind the majestic monument to Admiral Nelson. In one of the greatest museums in the world, many historical artifacts and works of art are kept. In it you can see the work of not only contemporary artists, but also the paintings of the great creators of the Renaissance (Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Claude Monet and the great Leonardo da Vinci). In the gallery you can see such works of art as: “Madonna di Manchester”, “Marriage A-la-Mode”, “Moonlight, a Study at Millbank”, “Adam and Eve”, “Minerva protects Pax from Mars”, “Sunflowers” ". The museum offers free admission to everyone, as it belongs to London society.
Church of St. Martin
In the northeast of the square stands the famous St. Martin's Church in England. Without it, it is hard enough to imagine London architecture. It is in this church that the whole monarchical society of London comes to the service of God. Near the temple you can see a small glass building. This is the entrance to the cave of the temple, where they created a small restaurant. In it you can try a lot of juicy and colorful masterpieces of English cooking.
The smallest police station
There is a very unusual place on the corner of the square from Strand Street. This is a lamppost, which is the smallest police station in all of Britain. It was created due to popular strikes in 1929 in order to constantly monitor the territory. Now the wipers store their devices for work in it.
Pigeons
The problem of London and at the same time a tourist attraction were pigeons, as the birds reproduced very quickly and spoiled the monuments with droppings. Previously, the government spent a lot of money on cleaning the area, but for tourists there were stalls with bird food. The number of birds increased, and this became a problem that began to threaten not only monuments, but also all those around and visitors to the territory. The city government has passed a law that birds cannot be fed. The area was cleared of pests - now it is always clean and well-groomed.
Where is Trafalgar Square located?
Every real tourist should visit this place at least once in his life. Trafalgar Square is located in London's Westminster Abbey area. You can get there by almost any city bus. The number of buses on which you can get to the square: 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 87, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453.
If you have an Oyster pass, then the fare will cost 1 pound, there is also the opportunity to purchase a daily pass. Near the square there is a metro station "Charing Cross Road", the promenade, Leicester Square. From the stations you can reach the square on foot. One-time fare is 2 pounds. If you take a daily ticket for traveling around London (8 pounds 40 pence), it will be much more economical than using a one-time ticket.