About Trafalgar Square | London City Hall Events Visiting the square Trafalgar Square is surrounded by museums, galleries, cultural spaces and historic buildings. It also has the café on the square . Find out how to get here and what facilities are available, including at the cafe, on our visiting page . For more information, go to Visit London . History of Trafalgar Square 14th to 17th century: Most of the area now occupied by Trafalgar Square was the courtyard of the Great Mews stabling, which served Whitehall Palace. 1812: The architect John Nash began to develop ‘a new street from Charing Cross to Portland Place’. He wanted it to be a cultural space open to the public. 1830: The site was officially named Trafalgar Square. 1832: Work began on the National Gallery. 1838: Sir Charles Barry presented a plan to develop Trafalgar Square. This included the Nelson memorial statue and two fountains. 1843: Nelson’s Column, designed by William Railton, was erected 1845: The fountains were built.

1867: Sir Edwin Landseer designed the bronze lions placed on guard at the base of Nelson’s Column. 1876: The Imperial Measures were set into the north terrace wall (read more about this below). Trafalgar Square today In July 2003 a huge project to transform Trafalgar Square was completed. The north terrace was pedestrianised, so that the square is now linked to the National Gallery. The changes also included a cafe, public toilets and a lift for disabled access. Trafalgar Square is a centre of national democracy and protest. Rallies and demonstrations are frequently held at weekends on different political, religious and general issues. The Mayor supports this democratic tradition, and gives access to the square for such causes. Statues and fountains Nelson’s Column William Railton designed the column and statue to honour Admiral Nelson, after his victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The granite statue was sculpted by E. H. Baily. It is five metres high and stands on a bronze platform made from old guns from the Woolwich Arsenal Foundry. The four bronze panels at the base of the column depict some of Nelson’s battles.

The lions, designed by Sir Edwin Landseer, are said to protect Nelson’s Column. Restoration of Nelson’s Column Nelson's Column is Grade 1 listed. It is inspected every two years to assess its condition. Recent inspections found that the column was in sound condition, but recommended conservation work to preserve it for future generations. This work includes repairs to the stonework, cleaning areas of corrosion, protecting the bronze with wax, general cleaning to remove pigeon guano, and pigeon-proofing minor areas. The restoration team was able to repair damage to the statue using Craigleith sandstone, the original material used to make it. When the Craigleith quarry in Scotland closed sixty years ago it made getting hold of the stone almost impossible, so previous restorers patched Nelson up using a mixture of mortar and cement. However, some Craigleith stone was found during a restoration of Donaldson's School for the Deaf (an A-listed building in Edinburgh). It was donated to Nelson’s Column restoration by Scottish company Watson Stonecraft. Fountains The fountains were added in 1845. The mermaids, dolphins and tritons (the male figures with tails like fish) were installed later. The fountains operate on most days.

Statues There are four plinths for statues in the square. Bronze statues stand on three of them: General Sir Charles James Napier in the southwest, Major General Sir Henry Havelock in the southeast and King George IV in the northeast. The Fourth Plinth The fourth plinth , in the northwest of the square, was empty for many years. It is now managed by a Commissioning Group Panel of specialist advisors. This group guides and monitors the commissions for the plinth. The content presents world-class contemporary artworks in the public realm. Imperial Measures In 1876 the Imperial Measures were set into the north terrace wall. Surveyors can still check ‘Perches’, ‘Chains’ and other archaic measures against feet and yards. When the central staircase was added, the measures were relocated, and you can now find information about them outside the café on the square. Police box Probably the smallest police box ever built can be found on the southeast corner of the square. There was originally a lamp, built in 1826. In 1926, Scotland Yard installed a telephone line and light which the police could use to call for assistance. It is now used for storage.

Events Many events are hosted at Trafalgar Square, including cultural celebrations, commercial events, rallies and demonstrations, filming and photographic shoots. These events must be arranged through us, find out how on our booking page . Find out more about the events held at Trafalgar Square and in the rest of London. Share this page Victorian London - Buildings, Monuments and Museums - Statues, list of Victorian London - Buildings, Monuments and Museums - Statues, list of 1. STATUES AND MONUMENTS OF LONDON. The Achilles, Hyde Park; bronze colossal statue by Sir R. Westmacott, erected 1822, and "inscribed by the women of England to Arthur, Duke of Wellington, and his brave companions in arms." Was cast from twelve guns captured at Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse, and Waterloo. Dr. Edmund Jenner, in Kensington Gardens, near the bridge. Queen Anne, statue of, Queen Square, Westminster. Queen Anne, statue of, St. Paul's Churchyard, erected in 1708, by Francis Bird, who received 250l. for it.

The pedestal is enriched with symbolic sculptures of England, Ireland, Scotland, and France. Garth speaks of it satirically: "Near the vast bulk of that stupendous frame, Known by the Gentiles' great Apostle's name, With grace divine great Anna's seen to rise, An awful form that glads a nation's eyes!" Duke of Bedford; a standing statue, in Russell Square, by Sir R. Westmacott. Erected in 1809. Lord George Bentinck, second son of the Duke of Portland, and the leader of "the Protectionists," d. 1848. Standing statue, by Campbell, in Cavendish Square. George Canning, the great statesman. Bronze statue in Palace Yard, by Sir R. Westmacott. Major Cartwright, an early and able advocate of parliamentary reform; bronze statue, by Clarke, in Burton Crescent. Charles I., Charing Cross; an equestrian statue, by Hubert de Soeur, a Frenchman, cast in 1633; the pedestal carved by Joshua Marshall, master mason to the crown.

After the execution of the king, the parliament ordered the statue, which had not been erected, to be sold and broken to pieces. But one John Rivet, a brazier, who purchased it, appears to have anticipated the restoration of the monarchy, and concealed the royal effigy in his garden near Holborn. In 1678 a pedestal was curved, and the statue set up in its present position. Charles II.; statue in Soho Square (originally called King's Square), and statue (by Grinling Gibbons) in the quadrangle of Chelsea Hospital. Duke of Cumberland, the victor of Culloden; an equestrian statue in Cavendish Square, erected in 1770. Edward VI.; bronze statue in the court of St. Thomas's Hospital, Southwark. Charles James Fox, the statesman, and Pitt's great rival. A. sitting statue in bronze, by Westmacott; erected in Bloomsbury Square in 1816. George I.

When a statue of this monarch was placed upon the steeple of Bloomsbury Church, the following epigram was circulated: "No longer stand staring, My friend, at Cross Charing, Amidst such a number of people; For a man on a horse Is a matter of course, But look, here's a king on a steeple!" George III.; a bronze statue, by M. C. Wyatt, erected in 1836, Cockspur Street, Pall Mall. George IV.; equestrian statue, by Sir Francis Chantrey, in Trafalgar Square. Sir Thomas Gresham, statue of, by Behnes, on the east tower of the Royal Exchange. Thomas Guy; a bronze statue, by Scheemakers, of the founder of Guy's hospital, where, in the open quadrangle, it is placed/ Major-Gen. Sir Henry Havelock, Bart.; statue in bronze, in Trafalgar Square. James II., Whitehall; a bronze statue, by Grinling Gibbons, erected, in 1687, at the expense of Mr. Tobias Rustat, formerly a page in the royal household.

Duke of Kent, Portland Place; a bronze statue, by Gahagan. The Monument, Fish Street Hill, London Bridge; a fluted Doric column, by Sir Christopher Wren, erected to commemorate the great fire of London, 1666. The bas-relief was carved by Gabriel Cibber; the four dragons by Edward Pierce, at fifty guineas each. The whole cost 13,700l., and was erected in six years (1671-77). The height is 202 ft., and it stands 202 ft. from the house in Pudding Lane, where the fire originated. The staircase inside numbers 365 steps. In 1831, the Common Council ordered the removal of the offensive inscription which attributed the great fire to the malice of the Papists, and suggested Pope's lines: "Where London's column towering to the skies, Like a tall bully, lifts its head and lies." The fee for ascending the Monument is 3d.

The cage- work which protects the balcony was rendered necessary by the suicides of six monomaniacs: Green, a weaver, 1750; Cradock, a baker, 1788; Levi, a Jew, 1810; Moyes, a baker's daughter, 1839; Hawes, a boy, also in 1839; and a female of 17 years, in 1842; all of whom threw themselves off the Monument. General Sir Charles Napier, bronze statue of, in Trafalgar Square, executed by G. G. Adams, and erected in 1857. The Nelson Column, Trafalgar Square, of Portland stone, l45 ft. high, erected by public subscription in 1840-43, from designs by Railton. The statue which surmounts it was executed by E. H. Baily, R.A. The capital is of bronze, from French guns captured by the great Admiral, and is adorned with four bas-reliefs: the Victory off Cape St.

Vincent, by Watson; the Bombardment of Copenhagen, by Ternouth; the Victory of the Nile, by Woodington; and the Death of Nelson, by Carew. Four colossal lions, carved in granite, by Sir E. Landseer, will surmount the four angles of the base as soon as completed. Sir Robert Peel, the statesman; bronze statue, by Behnes, erected 1851, Cheapside, near St. Paul's. William Pitt, the "heaven-born minister," Hanover Square. A bronze statue, by Chantrey, erected in 1831. Queen Victoria, centre of the court of the Royal Exchange. A statue in white marble, by Lough. Duke of Wellington, statue of, Waterloo Barracks. Duke of Wellington; equestrian statue in bronze, by M. C. Wyatt; stands on the summit of the arch (designed by Decimus Burton, 1828) which forms the entrance to Constitution Hill, at Hyde Park Corner. Duke of Wellington; equestrian statue in bronze, in front of the Royal Exchange, executed by Sir Francis Chantrey.

William IV; equestrian statue in bronze, by the two Bacons, pï¿½re et fils; was finished temp. George II., but not erected until 1808, in St. James's Square. William IV., King William Street, London Bridge. Richard Coeur-de-Lion, by Marochetti, Old Palace Yard, Westminster. The Westminster Memorial, to the officers educated at Westminster School who tell in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, faces the Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, and was designed by G. G. Scott. The general proportions are harmonious, and the accessories appropriate. The Guards' Memorial, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, designed by Bell, and cast from cannon captured at Sebastopol. Erected to the officers and men of the Guards who fell in the Crimea. The York Column, Carlton House Gardens, 124 ft. high, erected from Wyatt's designs in 1833. The bronze statue, by Westmacott, is 14 ft. high. The column is ascended by a spiral staircase. Open in summer from 10 to 4 p.m., and winter, 12 to 3 p.m.; admission, 6d.

Cruchley's London in 1865 : A Handbook for Strangers, 1865 [ ... back to main menu for this book] Statues . ï¿½ Unfortunately, London is not celebrated, although it may be notorious, for its public statues. They are to be encountered in all quarters of the town, from the melancholy effigy of Cobden in Camden Town, to the uncomfortable seated figure of Peabody at the back of the Royal Exchange, or the still more forlorn Dr. Jenner in Kensington-gardens. It is difficult to go very wrong with a simple column, and as the statues which crown the York and Nelson columns are out of the reach of inspection, these monuments are not without merit. At the foot of the Nelson column are Sir Edwin Landseers four colossal lions, perhaps the most artistic effigies in the streets of London. The equestrian statue of Richard Coeur de Lion, by Baron Marochetti, in Palace-row, Westminster, and Sir Gilbert Scottï¿½s Crimean memorial to officers educated at Westminster School which is to be found in Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, are well worthy of a special visit.

The curious history of the equestrian statue of Charles I., at Charing. cross, gives it a peculiar interest quite apart from considerations of art. The same cannot be said of the surprising statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde-park-corner. The Guardsï¿½ Memorial at the foot of Waterloo-place is not without a certain massive effect. The National Memorial to the Prince Consort in Hyde-park should by all means be seen, if only as a warning that the expenditure of vast sums of money does not necessarily lead to satisfactory results. There is an almost grotesque Statue of Queen Anne, absurdly dwarfed by the great west front of St. Paulï¿½s Cathedral which is in so deplorable a state of repair that it may be hoped that it will shortly be taken out of the unequal competition with Sir Christopher Wrenï¿½s magnum opus. Wayfarers in the squares should by no means be tempted to inspect the statues by which many of them are adorned, although the accumulated smoke of years has happily, to a large extent, concealed the sculptorsï¿½ intentions. The following are the principal open-air statues, monuments, and memorials of the metropolis. ACHILLES, Hyde-park.

ANNE (QUEEN) Queen-square, Bloomsbury; Queen-square-Westminster; and St.Paulï¿½s, churchyard; BEDFORD (DUKE OF), Russell-sq. Trafalgar Square, London England - Travel To Eat Travel To Eat Trafalgar Square, London England Trafalgar Square, London England Trafalgar square, the largest in the capital, is often considered the heart of London. The square was originally called Charing. Later it became known as Charing Cross, after a memorial cross on the square. The nearby underground station is still named Charing Cross. In the 1820s, George IV engaged the architect John Nash to redevelop the area. Nash cleared the square as part of his Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. The present architecture of the square is due to Sir Charles Barry and was completed in 1845. At the center of the square is the tall Nelson's Column which was built to commemorate the victory of Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson over the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October 1805. Nelson's Column.

Trafalgar Square, London England The pedestal is decorated with four bronze relief panels, each 18 feet square, cast from captured French guns. They depict the Battle of Cape St Vincent (upper left), the Battle of the Nile (upper right), the Battle of Copenhagen (bottom left) and the Death of Nelson at Trafalgar (bottom right). The sculptors were Musgrave Watson, William F Woodington, John Ternouth and John Edward Carew respectively. I find these to be quite beautiful and I recommend a look if you visit. Nelson's Column. Trafalgar Square, London England Nelson's Column is 169 ft 3 inches tall from the bottom of the pedestal to the top of Nelson's hat constructed between 1840 and 1843. The 18 ft 1 inch statue at the top was sculpted by Edward Hodges Baily from three pieces of Craigleith sandstone. The statue stands on a fluted column built from solid blocks of granite from the Foggintor quarries on Dartmoor. The Corinthian capital is made of bronze elements, cast from cannon salvaged from the wreck of HMS Royal George. Nelson's Column.

Trafalgar Square, London England The column is surrounded by bronze 4 crouching lions designed by Sir Edwin Landseer who, having never seen a real lion, gave them dogs paws by mistake. The kids love to climb on them as you can see. Fountains. Trafalgar Square, London England Fountains. Trafalgar Square, London England When the square was laid out in the 1840s, the fountains' primary purpose was not aesthetic, but rather to reduce the open space available and the risk of riotous assembly. In 1939 Sir Edwin Lutyens added the present fountains. The old fountains were bought for presentation to the Canadian government, and are now in Ottawa and Regina. In 2009 a new multicolored LED lighting system was installed during restoration to reduce the cost of lighting maintenance. Worth a night visit. Fountain Sculptures. Trafalgar Square, London England In addition to the central fountains, each fountain has two groups of statues. The two to the left are in the left fountain as you face the National Gallery and the two to right in the right fountaind.

Both sets by by William McMillan RA and unveiled in 1948, having been delayed by the 1939-1945 WWII. I personally like the ones on the left, the children gushing water from their mouths is a little unappetizing. King George IV Trafalgar Square, London England A bronze equestrian statue of George IV by Sir Francis Chantrey, originally intended for the top of the Marble Arch, was installed on the north-eastern plinth in 1844, while the north-west plinth remained empty until the late twentieth century. Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, General Sir Charles James Napier Two more statues on plinths were added during the nineteenth century; General Sir Charles James Napier by George Cannon Adams in the south-west corner of the square in 1855, and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock by William Behnes, in the south-east in 1861. In 2000, the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone controversially expressed a desire to see the two generals replaced with statues of people “ordinary Londoners would know”.

Personally I think the silly hats really make these unremarkable statues work, they should stay, maybe without the statues. Fourth Plinth Modern Sculpture. Trafalgar Square, London England Since 1998 the empty plinth in the north-west corner of the square – which has become known as the “Fourth Plinth” – has been used to show a series of specially commissioned artworks. The scheme was initiated by the Royal Society of Arts and continued by a Fourth Plinth Commission, appointed by the Mayor of London. I think this might be one of the most successful sculptures in the square. King Charles I. Trafalgar Square, London England On the south side of the square, on the site of the original Charing Cross on a traffic island, is a bronze equestrian statue of Charles I by Hubert Le Sueur. It was cast in 1638, and placed in its present position in 1675. By the time of the English Civil War between the Roundheads and Cavaliers it had not yet been erected, and so upon the Parliamentary victory the statue was sold to a metalsmith in the Holborn area by the name of John Rivet who was supposed to destroy it and did not.

It was rediscovered, purchased by the King and in 1675 was placed in its current location. St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London, England At the north-east corner is the St. Martin-in-the-Fields parish church. A grave has been found dating to about 410. The church was rebuilt by Henry VIII in 1542 to avoid plague victims from the area having to pass through his Palace of Whitehall. At this time, it was literally “in the fields” in an isolated position between the cities of Westminster and London. The current church, with a large white steeple, was built in 1721 by James Gibbs and was used as a model for many churches, especially in New England in the United States. It is the fourth church at this site, the first was built in the 13th century. Big Ben. London, England If you swing your camera a little to the right, you can see “Big Ben” over the tops of the trees. National Gallery. Trafalgar Square, London England In the end, Trafalgar Square is a little bit of a mystery to me.

It is a large open space but unadorned by landscaping, seating and cafes. For a people like the British who love to garden, it seems odd that there is no grass, few trees and no flowers. The buildings are large but mostly unadorned and seem a little forlorn. Given that the National Gallery fronts on the square, there are no statues of famous artists and the square itself is named after a naval battle. There are no Greek allegorical myths, no Latin and really no intellectual thought at all. The buildings are just pretty much square boxes with a few columns thrown in. No celebration of English writers, intellectuals, artists or historical figures. I could name many but Chaucer, Shakespeare, Thomas Becket, Newton, Beardsley, Byron, Bacon and Turner to name just a few. In Paris you cannot find a place or a street that does not celebrate someone or some piece of history, usually with a large statue, here is none of that. Just the military figures that built the English empire, now gone, leaving little to to remember and apparently no one interested in remembering.

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The fourth plinth at London's Trafalgar Square and its artworks - Anorak Chronicles Anorak Chronicles Studious, unfashionable events as they occur Header Right The fourth plinth at London’s Trafalgar Square and its artworks February 23, 2014 By The Resident Leave a Comment Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom is an open square found in the Charing Cross area in the City of Westminster. It is used for community gatherings of all kinds and at times political demonstrations played out there. The square was completed in 1845 on request of King George IV. Sir Charles Barry was the architect, same chap who gave us the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) , Big Ben , and other famous buildings. At the centre of the square stands Nelson’s Column , a 52 meter sandstone statue in commemoration of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 during the Napoleonic wars between Britain and combined France and Spain. Each corner of the square has a plinth built on which a statue rests.

The first statue, that of George IV was installed on the north eastern plinth in 1844, while the second in the south west corner of the square in 1855 of General Sir Charles James Napier. The third was erected in the south east in 1861 of Major-General Sir Henry Havelock. The strange thing is, the fourth plinth in the north west corner had nothing on since! Story has it the project’s money ran out (hard to believe!) and a statue, which was meant to be of monarch William IV, was never erected on the fourth plinth. For over 150 years the plinth stood ’empty’ and the fate of it was heavily debated… So in the late 1990s, it was eventually decided to trial display a sequence of contemporary artworks on the ‘naked’ plinth. The first artwork was erected in 1999, and the residents of London and world never looked back! The Greater London Authority now manages and administers the ‘temporary display of artworks’ every year. Discussions are apparently underway of having a permanent statue erected in due course.

Talks of a statue of Queen Elizabeth II – after her death – seems most plausible, but nothing has been decided yet and so we get to enjoy great artworks for a little longer! The artworks in the order as they appeared are shown below, but before we jump into that first up are images of the statues on the other three plinths. 1844 – King George IV by Sir Francis Chantrey, originally intended for the top of the Marble Arch 1855 – General Sir Charles James Napier by George Cannon Adams 1861 – Major-General Sir Henry Havelock by William Behnes Mark Wallinger: Ecce Homo 1999 – Wallinger’s ‘Ecce Homo’, the Latin title of which means “Behold the man”, a reference to the words of Pontius Pilate at the trial of Jesus (John 19:5) was a life-sized figure of Christ, naked apart from a loin cloth, with his hands bound behind his back and wearing a crown of barbed wire (in allusion to the crown of thorns).

Bill Woodrow: Regardless of History 2000 – Bill Woodrow’s ‘Regardless of History’, the head comes from a fallen statue and is placed on the plinth, mimicking traditional methods of display. The head is topped by a book and a tree, both symbolic of the accumulation of growth and knowledge. This composition is bound together by the tree’s roots, here providing a narrative on the cyclical quality of time. Full of symbolism, the supremacy of nature over civilisation is shown in ‘Regardless of History’ as it may be observed in the jungles of South America or Thailand, where deserted temples have been reclaimed by nature. Woodrow here emphasises humanity’s fragility in the face of nature, suggesting that we should remain respectful of nature’s power and our place in a natural order, most importantly learning from history. Rachel Whiteread: Untitled Monument 2001 – Rachel Whiteread’s ‘Untitled Monument’. Also variously known as Plinth or Inverted Plinth, is an 11 ton resin cast of the plinth itself, which stood upsidedown, making a sort of mirror-image of the plinth.

It was said to be the largest object ever made out of resin, taking eight attempts to produce due to the resin cracking, and produced in two-halves in the end. Madame Tussauds: David Beckham June 2002 – David Beckham waxwork model (unauthorised). A waxwork figure of the England captain made a brief appearance (a few hours!) on the plinth at 6am one morning, but despite hooting horns and shouts of encouragement from passersby, wardens from the Greater London Authority had it taken down. Madame Tussauds , which arranged for the statue to be transported from the museum and erected on the plinth, said: “We came to realise how much the British public love David Beckham by the way people behave around him – they can’t get enough of him. We wanted to do something to reflect the country’s depth of emotion. We couldn’t think of a more popular choice for the vacant spot.” The stunt was just ahead of England’s World Cup clash with Nigeria.

Marc Quinn: Alison Lapper Pregnant Sept 2005 – Marc Quinn’s ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’ is a 3.6 metres (12 ft), 13-tonne Carrara marble torso-bust of Alison Lapper, an artist who was born with no arms and shortened legs due to a condition called phocomelia. Thomas Schütte: Model for a Hotel 2007 (formerly Hotel for the Birds) November 2007 – Thomas Schütte: Model for a Hotel 2007 (formerly Hotel for the Birds) is a 5 metre (m) by 4.5m by 5m architectural model of a 21-storey building made from coloured glass. What’s it about? Well, not so sure. Don’t think the artist knows either… Madame Tussauds: Johnny Wilkinson October 2007 – Johnny Wilkinson’s waxwork model (authorised this time round!) complete with his magic boot kicking pose was erected on the fourth plinth on the eve of England’s crunch World Cup final match against South Africa in Paris.

Antony Gormley: One & Other July 2009 – Antony Gormley’s: One & Other. Over the course of a hundred consecutive days, a total of 2,400 selected members of the public each spent one hour on the plinth. They were allowed to do anything they wished to and could take anything with them that they could carry unaided. Some took the opportunity to voice their opinion, others used the plinth as a platform to address serious issues, and some danced or raised awareness for charities. There was a live feed of the spectacle. For safety reasons, the plinth was surrounded by a net, and a team of six stewards were present 24 hours a day. Battle of Britain Memorial: Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park November 2009 – Battle of Britain Memorial: Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Par. A temporary statue of Sir Keith Park, the man who more than anyone helped win the Battle of Britain . On a greying winter afternoon, a Spitfire and a Typhoon aircraft flew overhead before the fibreglass statue was unveiled, where it remained for six months.

Park is seen as an unsung hero, a man who as RAF commander in south-east England played a definitive part in ensuring the Luftwaffe bombing campaign did not achieve its ultimate aim – defeating the RAF ahead of invasion. A permanent bronze version by the same sculptor, Leslie Johnson, was erected at nearby Waterloo Place. Yinka Shonibare: Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle May 2010 – Yinka Shonibare’s: Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle is by the leading Anglo-Nigerian artist, and consists of a replica of Nelson’s ship, the HMS Victory , with sails made of printed fabric in a colourful African pattern inside a large glass bottle stopped with a cork. The bottle is 4.7 metres long and 2.8 metres in diameter. The artwork is the first “to reflect specifically on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square, which commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, and will link directly with Nelson’s column. It is also the first commission by a black British artist. The work is now on display at the National Maritime Museum . Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset: Powerless Structures, Fig.

101 February 2012 – Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset’s Powerless Structures, Fig. 101 is a 4.1 metres (13 ft) tall bronze sculpture of a boy on a rocking horse. Unlike the square’s other statues, which celebrate kings and military leaders, this is intended to portray “the heroism of growing up”. After its display on the plinth the sculpture was bought by the Annie og Otto Detlefs Fond and donated to the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Ishøj, Denmark. The sculpture comes with tradition and renewal and it is an ironic commentary on the obeisance of warlords. At the same time, it praises the child’s spontaneity and its playful approach to life. Katharina Fritsch: Hahn/Cock July 2013 to Current – Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock is a 4.72 metres (15.5 ft) high blue sculpture of a cockerel, intended to symbolise “regeneration, awakening and strength”. The statue will be displayed for 18 months.

Fritsch hailed her installation as a “victory for feminism” in a square dominated by military men. Hans Haacke: Gift Horse Planned for 2015 – Hans Haacke’s Gift Horse is a bronze statue of a riderless skeletal horse. Wrapped around its leg is an electronic stock ticker display, and is a tribute to economist Adam Smith and horse painter George Stubbs, whose books Wealth of Nations and The anatomy of the Horse were both published in 1766. He based the design on a sketch by Stubbs, who had designed the equestrian statue of William IV originally intended for the plinth. David Shrigley: Really Good Planned for 2016 – David Shrigley’s Really Good is a bronze sculpture of a human hand in a thumbs-up gesture, with the thumb greatly elongated. The top of the thumb will reach 10 metres (33 ft) high. Missing Years From our research you’ll notice there are a few significant time periods missing.

The obvious one is of course the 150 years nothing happened (or did there?) on the plinth between the years 1841 – when the square was completed – or 1861 – when the last of the three permanent statues were erected – to 1999 – when the first of the artworks were installed. Then there is the most recent period 2002 after the David Beckham stunt to 2005 when Marc gave us Alison Lapper Pregnant. What happened over those ‘naked’ years? If you know, or have any information, please get in touch. We’d love to update this post and share the mystery… We’ll aspire to keep this post updated. Major-General Sir Henry Havelock | Exploring London What’s in a Name?…Trafalgar Square August 20, 2012 It wasn’t until some time after Admiral Lord Nelson’s victory over the French fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar off the coast of Spain on 21st October, 1805, that the large public space in Westminster we now know as Trafalgar Square took its name.

Prior to the development of the square, much of the area it covers was occupied the King’s Mews – stables linked to the Palace of Whitehall – and was simply seen as part of the district known as Charing Cross (named for the memorial cross which stood close to where the equestrian statue of King Charles I now stands – for more on this, see our earlier post and follow the links). Following the relocation of the Mews in the early 19th century, plans were drawn up by architect-of-the-age John Nash to redevelop the area while the square itself, completed in 1845, was designed by Sir Charles Barry (best known for his work on the Houses of Parliament). The final design incorporated a statue of Admiral Lord Nelson atop a column, known as ‘Nelson’s Column’, in the centre – apparently against Barry’s wishes (see our earlier post for more on Nelson’s Column ). Originally designed with an upper terrace and a lower piazza linked by stairs at the eastern and western end of the terrace, the square contains two fountains on either side of the column – the current fountains were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1937-9 and replaced earlier ones.

It was originally suggested that the square be named King William IV Square but it was apparently architect George Ledwell Taylor who provided the alternative of Trafalgar Square in honor of Nelson’s great battle. Bordered by significant landmarks including the National Gallery to the north, the church of St Martin’s-in-the-Fields to the north-east, South Africa House to the east and Canada House to the west, the square stands at the confluence of a number of major roadways including Whitehall, Strand, Charing Cross Road and The Mall. Aside from the aforementioned statue of King Charles I, monuments within the square include Nelson’s Column along with plinths set in the four corners of the square. These bear statues of King George IV, Victorian military figures General Sir Charles James Napier and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock while the fourth plinth, located in the north-west corner, was originally intended to bear an equestrian statue of King William IV. Instead, it was left empty for many years before the advent of the Fourth Plinth project under which a variety of contemporary artworks – most recently a massive sculpture of a boy astride a rocking horse – have occupied the space (you can see a picture of the current work in our earlier post here ).

The square, once known as the home of thousands of pigeons before these were banished midway through last decade to allow greater public use of the space, also features the busts of three admirals – John Jellicoe, David Beatty and Andrew Cunningham, located against the north wall under the terrace. There are also two statues on a lawn in front of the National Gallery – these are of US President George Washington and King James II. Curiously, the square also features a small pillar box in the south-east corner, referred to by some as the smallest police station in London. A renovation project in 2003 pedestrianised the roadway along the north side of the square and installed a central stairway between the the upper and lower levels along with lifts, public toilets and a cafe. For some more on the history of Trafalgar Square, see Jean Hood’s Trafalgar Square: A Visual History of London’s Landmark Through Time .

Britons volunteer as 'living statues' - UPI.com Britons volunteer as 'living statues' July 7, 2009 at 10:49 AM Comments LONDON, July 7 (UPI) -- Britons who climbed onto an empty plinth in London's Trafalgar Square to become "living statues" say the experience is both exhilarating and terrifying. A 100-day art project created by Antony Gormley called "One & Other" began Monday, in which people sign up to be picked at random to spend an hour perched atop the vacant, 25-foot-high statuary plinth in Trafalgar Square, The Daily Mail reported. "Part of you is very excited and part of you is filled with abject terror," said London computer consultant Jill Gatcum, 51, the third "living statue." Another "statue," Rachel Wardell, 35, told the Mail, "It was really very peaceful up there, very serene," but admitted she was "terribly nervous" when told she had been chosen as the first to take the plinth.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said "One & Other" was worthy public art, declaring, "We may have lost the People's Princess but we have the People's Plinth." The other three plinths in the square hold statues of King George IV, Sir Charles Napier and Maj. Gen. Sir Henry Havelock, while the square is dominated by a 150-foot column topped by a statue of Adm. Horatio Nelson. EarthCam - London Cams A History of London, England TRAFALGAR SQUARE Trafalgar Square is a square in central London that commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The area had been the site of the King's Mews since the time of Edward I. In the 1820s the Prince Regent engaged the landscape architect John Nash to redevelop the area. Nash cleared the square as part of his Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. The present architecture of the square is due to Sir Charles Barry and was completed in 1845. The square consists of a large central area surrounded by roadways on three sides, and stairs leading to the National Gallery on the other.

Prior to 2003, the square was surrounded by a one-way traffic system on all sides. Underpasses attached to Charing Cross underground station still allow pedestrians to avoid traffic. In the middle of the square is Nelson's Column, surrounded by fountains and four huge bronze lions sculpted by Sir Edwin Landseer; the metal used is said to have been recycled from the cannons of the French fleet. The column is topped by a statue of Lord Nelson, the admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. On the north side of the square are the National Gallery and St Martin's-in-the-Fields. The square adjoins The Mall via Admiralty Arch. To the south is Whitehall, to the east the Strand, to the north Charing Cross Road. At the corners of the square are four plinths. Three of them hold statues: George IV (1840s), Henry Havelock (1861), and Sir Charles James Napier (1855). Mayor of London Ken Livingstone controversially expressed a desire to see these replaced with statues of people more relevant to the 21st century. BIG BEN Big Ben is the clock tower that tops the Palace of Westminster.

Big Ben is 96.3m (316 ft) tall and the Great Bell weighs 13.8 tonnes. There are two theories of how the bell got its name. The first suggests that it was taken from the nickname of a champion heavyweight boxer of the time, Ben Caunt. The second and more probable explanation, is that it was named after the bulky Welshman Sir Benjamin Hall, who was First Commissioner of Works from 1855 to 1858 and whose name was inscribed on the bell. MILLENNIUM WHEEL The Millennium Wheel, now called the British Airways "London Eye", was originally conceived by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield as an entry for a millennium landmark competition. The project took six years and the expertise of hundreds of people from five European countries to turn it into a reality. Meeasuring 135m in height, it is the city's fourth highest structure and is the world's highest observation wheel. It is higher than the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour, the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and the Big Ben clock tower. Each trip takes you 450 feet above the River Thames for 30 minutes.

The duration corresponds to about 2 full turns of the millenium wheel. COVENT GARDEN The history of the area can be traced back to AD 600, when the Anglo-Saxons established a trading town on most of present-day Covent Garden. When they moved into the old Roman town nearby for safety, it reverted to a market garden until the 17th century. Over the centuries since then it has developed as a residential, commercial and entertainment area. For most of the time it was the main fruit, vegetable and flower market for the fast-growing Capital. Trafalgar Square, London, GREATER LONDON, England, UK - Dilos Holiday World Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square is a world renown square, for not only the site of Nelson's Column, for the pigeons, for the large Christmas Tree that is donated every year by Norway, but also for the revellers that can be found there on New Years Eve. Nelson's Column is in the centre of the wonderful Trafalgar Square, surrounded by fountains and guarded by four lions. Nelsons column is in honour of Admiral Horatio Nelson who fought the French fleet at Trafalgar.

There are four plinths in the square that hold other statues the first of these contains a statue of King George IV on horseback, and the second is of Sir Henry Havelock. The third plinth is filled with Sir Charles Napier  a military man from the mid 19th-century. The fourth plinth was supposed to be a statue of William IV, but they ran out of money and it remained empty for decades. In 1999 a project was launched to find a suitable replacement  and it is currently housing a series of modern art pieces. On the north side of the square is the National Gallery which has permanent collections consisting of Western European paintings dating from about 1250 onwards. To its east is the St Martin's-in-the-Fields Church, there has been a church on the site since 1222, the square adjoins The Mall which leads to Buckingham Palace, via Admiralty Arch, the arch is an impressive quintuple arched ceremonial gateway and is one of London's most famous landmarks to the southwest. 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.

Some of the square is pedestrianized and since this was done in 2003, visitor numbers have increased by some 200 per cent. Why not visit the Cafe on the Square for a relaxed meal or a drink or just coffee and a chat. There are a variety of hotels in the vicinity of the Square to suit all visitors to the area. The visitor to Trafalgar Square should obviously visit Buckingham palace, and the National Gallery, but places near Trafalgar Square which would allow you to shop is the whole of Oxford Street which includes Marble Arch , Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road. ADVERTISEMENTS

Question: Where in London can statues of George IV, Sir Henry Havelock and Sir Charles Napier be found?
Answer: TRAFALGAR SQUARE