The largest and the most popular square in London is Trafalgar Square. It’s a place where the three Westminster’s streets: Strand, Whitehall and Mall meet. It’s a traditional place for meetings, demonstrations, other gatherings and mass events holding. The main country’s Christmas tree imported from Norway is set there annually. Norway presents Britain with a tree to thank for liberation from the Nazis.
It was named so by George Taylor in commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar that took place in 1805. In the centre of the square the Nelson’s Column, surrounded with fountains, is situated. Horatio Nelson was a commander admiral at that historical naval battle who died defeating Napoleon. His statue erected in 1843 is about 200 feet high and has 4 sculpted lions on its basement (added later on).
There are 4 plinths in every corner of Trafalgar Square with statues of George IV, Charles Napier, and Henry Havelock. The northwest plinth also known as the fourth plinth remained empty for 150 years. There should have been an equestrian statue of King William IV. Though, due to the lack of money the project wasn’t completed. Recently it has been decided to place there modern art installations that should be changed every 2 years. Since 2013 there is an ultramarine blue statue of Hahn/Cock.
The National Gallery of London is also situated on the north side of the square. It was completed in 1843. Its collection is compiled of the masterpieces of famous artists: Rafael, Rembrandt, Titian, Hogarth, Michelangelo, Rubens, Renoir and other. The National Portrait Gallery is a world-renowned gallery that has in its disposal the portraits of outstanding British people since Tudor times till nowadays. The portraits are arranged thematically and must depict people who have been dead at least for ten years.
Canada and South Africa houses as well as Admiralty Arch and St. Martin-in-the-Fields’ church are other prominent places of visit located nearby. The style of the last one had been copied by various architects for building churches, especially in the USA.
If a tourist experiences some troubles, he can ask for the help the heritage wardens which are present in the square around the clock. They provide with the appropriate answers and may give some pieces of advice as for the nearby attractions.
Till the recent time the doves were a special attraction of the place. There could be up to 35 thousand pigeons on the square simultaneously. Partially it was because of the tourists who fed birds. In fact, that made a great problem as the city administration spent 160 thousand dollars for cleaning the streets and monuments from the bird droppings every year. In 2007 the feeding pigeons was strictly prohibited that led to the decreasing of the birds number.