{"id":3453,"date":"2020-11-02T04:57:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T04:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mrglackin.eu\/?page_id=3453"},"modified":"2020-11-02T04:57:08","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T04:57:08","slug":"public-spaces-trafalgar-square","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mrglackin.eu\/?page_id=3453","title":{"rendered":"PUBLIC SPACES: TRAFALGAR SQUARE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Trafalgar
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Trafalgar Square<\/strong> (\/tr\u0259\u02c8f\u00e6l\u0261\u0259r\/<\/a> tr\u0259-FAL-g\u0259r<\/em><\/a>) is a public square<\/a> in the City of Westminster<\/a>, Central London<\/a>, established in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross<\/a>. The Square’s name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar<\/a>, the British naval<\/a> victory in the Napoleonic Wars<\/a> over France<\/a> and Spain<\/a> that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site around Trafalgar Square had been a significant landmark since the 1200s. For centuries, distances measured from Charing Cross have served as location markers.\u00a0The site of the present square formerly contained the elaborately designed, enclosed courtyard,\u00a0King’s Mews<\/a>. After\u00a0George IV<\/a>\u00a0moved the mews to\u00a0Buckingham Palace<\/a>, the area was redeveloped by\u00a0John Nash<\/a>, but progress was slow after his death, and the square did not open until 1844. The 169-foot (52\u00a0m)\u00a0Nelson’s Column<\/a>\u00a0at its centre is guarded by four lion statues. A number of commemorative statues and sculptures occupy the square, but the\u00a0Fourth Plinth<\/a>, left empty since 1840, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. Prominent buildings facing the square include the\u00a0National Gallery<\/a>,\u00a0St Martin-in-the-Fields<\/a>,\u00a0Canada House<\/a>, and\u00a0South Africa House<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The square has been used for community gatherings and political demonstrations<\/a>, including Bloody Sunday<\/a> in 1887, the culmination of the first Aldermaston March<\/a>, anti-war protests, and campaigns against climate change<\/a>. A Christmas tree<\/a> has been donated to the square by Norway since 1947 and is erected for twelve days before and after Christmas Day. The square is a centre of annual celebrations on New Year’s Eve<\/a>. It was well known for its feral pigeons<\/a> until their removal in the early 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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