Trafalgar Square - One of London’s Oldest and Best Attractions
London is seen by many travellers to be one of the world’s must-see cities and although recent developments such as the London Eye and the Millennium Dome are huge attractions to tourists, the majority still set aside time for the more traditional landmarks, like Trafalgar Square.
The square is named after the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar which saw the British Navy defeat the combined fleets of the French and Spanish. Horatio Nelson was the Commander of the British Navy at the time and it is his statue, perched atop the eponymous Nelson’s Column, which dominates its surroundings, standing at a height of 185 feet. The statue of Nelson himself is 17 feet in height.
The square itself was designed by John Nash, who created the first layout of the square in the 1820s, with construction beginning in 1829. John Nash passed away before the square was completed, but his designs were adhered to, and the square’s Neo-classical design was achieved. London’s National Gallery - which houses one of the world’s richest collections of art - is situated on Trafalgar Square’s north side.
Also prominent in the square is the wildlife. Four statues of lions - reputedly made from the recycled cannons of the French ships - sit at the base of Nelson’s column whilst live pigeons freely roam around the attraction. It is estimated that at their peak there were around 35,000 pigeons in the square; however, that figure has declined recently.
The common thought of Trafalgar Square might well be of being filled with hordes of pigeons, but its location in central London means it has often been packed full with humans. Many protests have taken place there - including the Poll Tax riots in 1990 and more recently the anti-war demonstrations against the UK’s involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also been used as a place of celebration - after England’s success in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the cricket team’s victory in the 2005 Ashes series, Trafalgar Square was used as the focal point for the victory parades.
Although 12,000 congregated to watch England play Brazil in the 2002 World Cup on specially set up screens, possibly the largest gathering of people came on 8 May 1945. Citizens turned out in huge numbers to hear Sir William Churchill’s speech announcing that World War II was over. Since the war, Trafalgar Square has housed a Christmas tree each year that has been donated by the town of Oslo as a token of appreciation - not only for Britain’s prominence in the fight against the Axis but also because Norway’s government and Prince Olav lived in exile in London during the conflict.
Although hotels in London weren’t as prevalent during the war, the following tourist boom has seen huge development in the tourist attractions, the transport system and the accommodation of the city.
Adam Singleton writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.