Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is the natural center of London. The square was so named to commemorate Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, and the monument in the centre, known as Nelson’s Column, is surmounted with a Statue of Nelson 16 feet high. On the north side of the square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

Nelson`s Column

Raised in 1843 and now one of London`s best-loved monuments, commemorates the one-armed, one-eyed admiral who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, but paid for it with his life. The statue which surmounts the granite column is more than triple life-size but still manages to appear minuscule, and is coated in anti-pigeon gel to try and stem the build-up of guano. The acanthus leaves of the capital are cast from British cannons, while bas-reliefs around the base – depicting three of Nelson`s earlier victories as well as his death aboard HMS Victory – are from captured French armaments. Edwin Landseer`s four gargantuan bronze lions guard the column and provide a climbing frame for kids to clamber over. 14 stonemasons held a dinner on top of Nelson`s Column before the statue was placed there. Every year, London receives as a gift huge Christmas tree from Norwegian city of Oslo.