Charing Cross, Monument in City of Westminster, United Kingdom
Charing Cross is a junction and monument at the point where the Strand becomes Whitehall, marked by a tall stone replica in Victorian Gothic style with fine carving. The structure consists of several tiers with columns, pointed turrets, and niches holding sculpted figures.
Edward I ordered twelve memorial crosses erected in 1290 along the route his wife Eleanor's funeral procession took from Lincoln to Westminster. The present monument was designed in 1865 by Edward Middleton Barry and stands in front of the railway station, several meters from the medieval site.
The name refers to the medieval village of Charing that once stood at the bend of the Thames before becoming part of the growing city. The junction today connects the elegant theater districts with government buildings and remains a reference point for locals and visitors.
The junction sits centrally between Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament and is easy to reach on foot from all directions. Charing Cross Underground and railway stations are immediately adjacent, making the site accessible via public transport for visitors.
The monument today stands about 100 meters (330 feet) south of the original spot where the medieval cross stood until it was torn down in the seventeenth century. The 1865 replica contains statues of Queen Eleanor even though she was never at this site during her lifetime.
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