Trafalgar Square is in the centre of the West End of London. It was named so in commemoration of the victorious naval battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which Admiral Lord Nelson was fatally wounded. The Nelson Column was erected in the 1840s. On the top of the imposing column is a 17 feet-tall statue of Lord Nelson. The total height of the monument is 184 feet. On the pedestal are bronze relieves cast from a captured French cannon, representing Nelson’s most famous victories. The four bronze lions are the work of the English architect of Landseer.
On the north side of Trafalgar Square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. The National Gallery was built in 1824. It contains one of the finest collections of pictures in the world. There are more than 850 masterpieces of all the European schools of painting.
In the Northeast corner is the well-known church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The church was built in 1222 and rebuilt in 1726. Trafalgar Square is one of the busiest places in London. During the rush hours, when people go to and from their work, it is hardly possible to cross the streets. At that time the quickest transport is the Underground railway. All over traffic is slowed down by crowds of people and all kinds of vehicles.