Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom
Posted by: benh57
N 51° 30.510 W 000° 07.695
30U E 699280 N 5710284
Trafalgar Square - famous plaza in the heart of London.
Waymark Code: WM32A9
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/28/2008
Views: 177
Trafalgar Square is one of the most famous plazas in the world.
It commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805). It was initially developed in 1830 and the present architecture was completed in 1845.
Nelson's Column is in the centre of the square, surrounded by fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1939.
On the north side of the square is the National Gallery. To its east the St Martin's-in-the-Fields church. To the southwest, the square adjoins The Mall via Admiralty Arch. To the south is Whitehall, to the east Strand and South Africa House, to the north Charing Cross Road and on the west side Canada House.
The Square has a rich history. It is a popular place for demonstrations. On "Black Monday" (8 February 1886), protesters rallied against unemployment. A larger riot (called "Bloody Sunday") occurred in the square in 1887.
The square is a popular tourist spot in London, and used to be particularly famous for its pigeons. In 2000, the sale of bird seed in the square was controversially terminated and other measures were introduced to discourage the pigeons, including the use of trained falcons. Supporters of the birds, including Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons, as well as some tourists continued to feed the birds, but, in 2003, Ken Livingstone enacted bylaws to ban the feeding of pigeons within the square.
The square has many statues and monuments. The 'fourth plinth' was left empty due to lack of funds in 1841. The plinth has been used to display a series of rotating works since 1999. Various organizations have also used the platform for (not always authorized) publicity stunts.