Charing Cross Facts
The name Charing Cross derives from the old English word charing, meaning a bend in the river; thus, the Charing Cross is "the cross by the bend in the river"
Greater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 km²)
The Eleanor Cross was commissioned by the Charing Cross Hotel Company and designed by E. M. Barry
It is a replica of the original Whitehall Cross which was erected in 1291 and demolished by order of Parliament in 1647
The cross stands 70ft high and was constructed by Thomas Earp of Lambeth from Portland stone, Mansfield stone and Aberdeen granite
Whether it is the distance from Brighton, Manchester or Glasgow, the actual point for measuring the distance to and from London is located at Charing Cross, Westminster.
Why Charing Cross? Even though it is quite central it is not because of its geographical location, the real reason goes back over 700 years to the reign of Edward I.Eleanor's Cross outside Charing Cross
In the year 1290 King Edward was in Scotland on an important trip awaiting the arrival of his wife, Queen Eleanor. On her journey to meet him she was taken ill with a fever and died shortly after at a manor house near Lincoln.
The Queen's body was to be taken from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey for a state burial. The grief stricken King decided that twelve memorial crosses would be installed at each stopping point of her funeral procession.
The twelve sites for memorial crosses were: Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Hardingstone, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St. Albans, Waltham, Cheapside (West Cheap), Charing Cross.
The original cross was south of Trafalgar Square where the statue of King Charles I now stands. A plaque can be found on the floor behind the statue stating that mileage distances on road signage are still measured from this point.
Only three of the original crosses remain at Geddington, Hardingstone and Waltham. The cross outside Charing Cross Station is a replica made in 1863 of the original that stood at the original site a few hundred metres away. Historians believe the original was not as ornate as the one seen today. The original memorials were large stone structures towering many feet high with carvings of the queen on each of the sides.
Location of Eleanor Cross, Queen - Charing Chross
Other links to Eleanor Cross, Queen - Charing Chross
Restaurants in the area
Asia De Cuba (distance = 274 m bearing 307°)
, Brasserie Roux (distance = 494 m bearing 237°)
, J Sheekey (distance = 319 m bearing 310°)
, Mint Leaf (distance = 404 m bearing 237°)
, Porters English Restaurant (distance = 324 m bearing 33°)
, Richoux (distance = 355 m bearing 31°)
, Rules (distance = 310 m bearing 35°)
, Savoy Grill, The (distance = 385 m bearing 47°)
, Simpson's in the Strand (distance = 413 m bearing 47°)
, Thai Pot (distance = 209 m bearing 302°)
, Tokyo Diner (distance = 494 m bearing 310°)
Local Pubs
Angel and Crown (distance = 303 m bearing 304°)
, Chandos (distance = 179 m bearing 309°)
, Coal Hole (distance = 406 m bearing 46°)
, Essex Serpent (distance = 374 m bearing 31°)
, Gordons (distance = 134 m bearing 145°)
, Green Man and French Horn (distance = 277 m bearing 305°)
, Imperial (distance = 497 m bearing 319°)
, Lamb and Flag (distance = 376 m bearing 301°)
, Lyceum Tavern (distance = 477 m bearing 44°)
, Marquees of Granby (distance = 187 m bearing 303°)
, Moon Under Water (distance = 361 m bearing 318°)
, Nell Gwen (distance = 279 m bearing 39°)
, Red Lion (distance = 273 m bearing 216°)
, Round House (distance = 389 m bearing 303°)
, Round Table (distance = 326 m bearing 309°)
, Salisbury (distance = 278 m bearing 307°)
, Sherlock Holmes (distance = 127 m bearing 212°)
, Silver Cross (distance = 212 m bearing 220°)
, The Clarence (distance = 225 m bearing 216°)
, The Harp (distance = 170 m bearing 305°)
, The Tup (distance = 474 m bearing 48°)
, Walkers of Whitehall (distance = 223 m bearing 216°)
, Wellington (distance = 450 m bearing 43°)
Museums/Galleries in the area
London Transport Museum (distance = 496 m bearing 38°)
, National Gallery (distance = 246 m bearing 325°)
, National Portrait Gallery (distance = 235 m bearing 321°)
Shops in the area
Cecil Court (distance = 319 m bearing 309°)
, Murder One (distance = 250 m bearing 32°)
, St Martin's Court (distance = 313 m bearing 309°)
, Stanfords (distance = 444 m bearing 301°)
Nearby sights
Admiralty Arch (distance = 293 m bearing 227°)
, Carlton House Terrace 16 - Crown Estate Office (distance = 432 m bearing 232°)
, Carlton House Terrace 17 - The Civic Trust (distance = 416 m bearing 232°)
, Embankment Place - Charing Cross (distance = 115 m bearing 135°)
, York Watergate (distance = 180 m bearing 147°)
, Friends Meeting House (distance = 278 m bearing 305°)
, Savoy Chapel (distance = 435 m bearing 48°)
, St Martin in the Field (distance = 124 m bearing 321°)
, St Pauls Covent Garden - Actors Church (distance = 383 m bearing 32°)
, Fourh Plinth (distance = 240 m bearing 237°)
, Horse Guards (distance = 426 m bearing 213°)
, Trooping the Colour (distance = 426 m bearing 213°)
, The Old Admiralty (distance = 359 m bearing 220°)
, Banqueting House (distance = 420 m bearing 211°)
, Covent Garden Market (distance = 452 m bearing 34°)
, Swiss chimes (distance = 479 m bearing 320°)
, Horse Guards (distance = 426 m bearing 213°)
, Wellington's Office, Horse Guards (distance = 425 m bearing 214°)
, Old War Office (distance = 466 m bearing 211°)
, Trafalgar Square (distance = 206 m bearing 237°)
, Coliseum (distance = 203 m bearing 306°)
, Household Calavry Museum - Horseguards (distance = 389 m bearing 214°)
, London Transport Museum (distance = 480 m bearing 37°)
, National Gallery, The (distance = 249 m bearing 325°)
, RSA (distance = 201 m bearing 47°)
, 7-7 Memorial (distance = 246 m bearing 57°)
, Actors Memorial (distance = 385 m bearing 32°)
, Alanbrooke, Field Marshal Viscount (distance = 489 m bearing 211°)
, Bazalgette, Sir Joseph (distance = 286 m bearing 138°)
, Beatty, Admiral David, Earl (distance = 181 m bearing 237°)
, Belgiums Gratitude for British Aid in 1914-1918 (distance = 305 m bearing 56°)
, Burns, Robert (distance = 195 m bearing 147°)
, Imperial Camel Corps Memorial (distance = 213 m bearing 147°)
, Cavell, Edith (distance = 186 m bearing 317°)
, Chaplin, Charlie (distance = 426 m bearing 319°)
, Charles 1 (distance = 198 m bearing 230°)
, Cheylesmore, Baron Herbert Francis Eaton (distance = 289 m bearing 56°)
, Cleopatras Needle (distance = 344 m bearing 57°)
, Cook, Captain James RN (distance = 321 m bearing 226°)
, Cunningham, Admiral Sir Andrew Browne , Viscount of Hyndhope (distance = 181 m bearing 237°)
, Faraday, Michael (distance = 433 m bearing 52°)
, Fawcett, Henry Memorial (distance = 269 m bearing 56°)
, Fleet Air Arm Memorial (distance = 330 m bearing 124°)
, Franklin, Benjamin (distance = 77 m bearing 123°)
, Bartle Frere, General Henry Edward (distance = 321 m bearing 124°)
, Gilbert, William Schwenck (distance = 284 m bearing 142°)
, Gordon, General Charles George - of Khartoum (distance = 251 m bearing 130°)
, Gurkha Memorial (distance = 363 m bearing 121°)
, Hogarth (distance = 420 m bearing 319°)
, Hunter, John (distance = 420 m bearing 319°)
, Imperial Measures, Official (distance = 176 m bearing 237°)
, Irving, Sir Henry (distance = 254 m bearing 319°)
, Jellicoe, Admiral Earl Sir John Rushworth (distance = 181 m bearing 237°)
, Melville, Herman (distance = 61 m bearing 31°)
, Nelson, Horatio, Admiral , Viscount , Duke of Bronte (distance = 209 m bearing 235°)
, Newton, Sir Isaac (distance = 426 m bearing 319°)
, Outram, Gereral Sir James (distance = 257 m bearing 129°)
, Portal, Charles Frederick Algernon, Viscount Hungerford, Air Marshal (distance = 312 m bearing 124°)
, Raikes, Robert (distance = 289 m bearing 56°)
, Reynolds, Sir Joshua (distance = 426 m bearing 319°)
, Shakespeare, William (distance = 426 m bearing 319°)
, Sullivan, Sir Arthur Seymour (distance = 346 m bearing 54°)
, Savoy Theatre Centenary (distance = 309 m bearing 55°)
, Royal Tank Regiment Memorial (distance = 247 m bearing 123°)
, Trenchard, Hugh Montague (distance = 351 m bearing 123°)
, Tyndale, William (distance = 361 m bearing 123°)
, Washington, George (distance = 193 m bearing 326°)
, Wheeler, Sir Mortimer (distance = 420 m bearing 324°)
, Wilde, Oscar (distance = 83 m bearing 310°)
, Adam Street and John Adam Street (distance = 244 m bearing 49°)
, Bull Inn Court (distance = 288 m bearing 39°)
, Cecil Court (distance = 299 m bearing 309°)
, Excel Court (distance = 388 m bearing 327°)
, Goodwins Court (distance = 284 m bearing 304°)
, Henrietta Street (distance = 333 m bearing 33°)
, James Street (distance = 489 m bearing 32°)
, King Street (distance = 386 m bearing 31°)
, Leicester Square (distance = 411 m bearing 319°)
, Long Acre (distance = 495 m bearing 31°)
, New Street (distance = 322 m bearing 302°)
, Seven Dails (distance = 421 m bearing 304°)
, Shelton Sreet (distance = 335 m bearing 303°)
, St Martins Lane (distance = 270 m bearing 305°)
, Suffolk Street (distance = 395 m bearing 327°)
, Victoria Embankment Gardens South (distance = 307 m bearing 126°)
, Victoria Embankmant Gardens North (distance = 248 m bearing 57°)
, Whithall Place (distance = 426 m bearing 122°)
, Hungerford Bridge (distance = 408 m bearing 140°)
Nearby Neighbours (Plaques)
ADAM, Robert (1728-1792) (distance = 168 m bearing 54°)
, ADELPHI TERRACE (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, ARKWRIGHT, Sir Richard (1732-1792), (distance = 211 m bearing 51°)
, ARNE, Thomas (1710-1778), (distance = 338 m bearing 301°)
, BARRIE, Sir James (1860-1937), (distance = 168 m bearing 54°)
, BURKE, Edmund, (distance = 477 m bearing 313°)
, CHIPPENDALE, Thomas (distance = 186 m bearing 313°)
, COBDEN, Richard (1804-1865), (distance = 367 m bearing 237°)
, DADD, Richard (1817-1886), (distance = 367 m bearing 237°)
, DE QUINCEY, Thomas (1785-1859), (distance = 385 m bearing 38°)
, DOYLY CARTE, Richard (1844-1901), (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, DRYDEN, John, (distance = 479 m bearing 313°)
, ETTY, William (1787-1849) (distance = 57 m bearing 146°)
, FRANKLIN, Benjamin (1706-1790), (distance = 56 m bearing 227°)
, GALSWORTHY, John (1867-1933), (distance = 168 m bearing 54°)
, Gwynne, Nell (distance = 138 m bearing 319°)
, HARDY, Thomas (1840-1928), (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, HARLEY, ROBERT , Earl of Oxford (1661-1724) (distance = 57 m bearing 146°)
, HEINE, Heinrich (1799-1856), (distance = 56 m bearing 227°)
, HOOD, Thomas (1799-1845) (distance = 168 m bearing 54°)
, KIPLING, Rudyard (1865-1936), (distance = 42 m bearing 38°)
, MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891) - Author (distance = 66 m bearing 121°)
, PEPYS, Samuel (1633-1703), (distance = 57 m bearing 146°)
, PEPYS, Samuel. (distance = 57 m bearing 146°)
, REYNOLDS, Sir Joshua (1723-1792), (distance = 371 m bearing 321°)
, ROWLANDSON, Thomas (1757-1827), (distance = 75 m bearing 56°)
, Savage Club (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, SCOTLAND YARD, Site of. (distance = 268 m bearing 213°)
, SHAW, George Bernard (1856-1950), (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, Sheppard, Jack (distance = 138 m bearing 319°)
, STANFIELD, Clarkson (1793-1867) (distance = 57 m bearing 146°)
, The London School of Economics (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, Topham (1739-1780), (distance = 77 m bearing 57°)
, WHEELER, Sir Mortimer (1890-1976), (distance = 335 m bearing 237°)
Notorious sights in the area
Attack on the Cabinet - Terrorists (distance = 384 m bearing 211°)
, Charles 1 - Execution (distance = 415 m bearing 212°)
, Cleopatras Needle (distance = 344 m bearing 57°)
, Da Vinci Code - Church of Our Lady of Paris (correct name Notre Dame de France Church) (distance = 463 m bearing 314°)
, Da Vinci Code - Horse Guards Parade (distance = 443 m bearing 216°)
, Da Vinci Code - National Gallery (distance = 228 m bearing 325°)
, Da Vinci Code - Virgin of the Rocks (distance = 228 m bearing 325°)
, Dover House (distance = 452 m bearing 212°)
, DOyly Carte (distance = 157 m bearing 52°)
, Gardelle, Theodore - Murderer (distance = 448 m bearing 321°)
, Ketch, Jack - Executioner (distance = 415 m bearing 212°)
, Scotland Yard Police HQ - 1 (distance = 268 m bearing 213°)
General Links
Local Map
Map of what is in the area - using Google map
