TRAFALGAR SQUARE AND THE STRAND
John Nash suggested the design of Trafalgar Square in 1820 to commemorate Nelson’s 1805 victory over Napoleon’s navy at the Battle of Trafalgar. But it took years to take on its current appearance: Nelson only arrived in 1843, the bronze lions in 1867. The reliefs at the column’s base are cast from captured French and Spanish cannons. Every December, the square hosts a giant Christmas Tree, donated by Norway to thank the British for assistance against the Nazis. (Tube: Charing Cross.)
ST. MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS
James Gibbs’s 1720s creation was the model for countless Georgian churches in Britain and America. It’s still the Queen’s parish church; look for the royal box to the left of the altar. The crypt downstairs has a life of its own, home to a cafe, bookshop, art gallery, and the London Brass Rubbing Centre. (St. Martin’s Ln. in the northeast comer of Trafalgar Sq. Tube: Leicester Sq. Brass Rubbing Centre open M-Sa 10am-6pm. Rubbings £3-15.)
