Nelson's Column, Victory column in Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom
Nelson's Column is a Corinthian victory column of Dartmoor granite in Trafalgar Square, rising from a square pedestal with a molded cornice. Its fluted shaft is built from stacked stone drums and carries a bronze capital cast from cannon salvaged from HMS Royal George. A dark bronze relief panel on the pedestal shows a crowded battle scene.
The memorial was erected in the 1840s to honor Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The lions were added two decades later, completing the design of the square.
The square around the column serves as a gathering place for celebrations and national events throughout the year. The four lions at its base have become a popular meeting point where people rest and watch the activity around them.
The nearest Underground station is Charing Cross, from which you can walk to the square in a few minutes. The entire area is open to pedestrians and allows a clear view of the monument from all sides.
The four bronze relief panels on the pedestal, each 18 feet (5.5 m) square, were cast from captured French guns and show Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen and Nelson's death at Trafalgar. The capital above them is bronze cast from cannon salvaged from the wreck of HMS Royal George.
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