Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London which was constructed in the late 1830’s by famous Georgian architect John Nash, although the site around the square had been a significant landmark since the 1200s.
The square is faced by the National Gallery (art gallery), and other prominent buildings including St Martin-in-the-Fields (church), Canada House and South Africa House, and the centerpeice of Trafalgar Square is the incredible Nelson’s Column, a monument built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he led the British Royal Navy in beating the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies. The monument stands over 169 feet tall and is built from Dartmoor granite, with the statue of Nelson himself carved from Craigleith sandstone.
Trafalgar square, as well as a major tourist attraction, is also used for community gatherings and demonstrations, including Bloody Sunday in 1887, and recent campaigns against climate change.
Each year the square erects a Christmas tree donated by Norway for Britains help during the war. It is also the place where many gather to celebrate on New Year’s Eve.
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