Monday, 9th August 2010
CHARING CROSS has got its mojo back thanks the revamp of Eleanor's Cross, the monument to a dead queen that gave the area its name.
Or half of its name, anyway. The 'Charing' part comes from an old English word that meant a bend in the river.
Eleanor's Cross, found just outside the famous station near Trafalgar Square, has spent most of the last five years behind hoardings while renovation work has been carried out.
Today, the wrapping comes off and we get to see the cross in all its Victorian glory.
First unveiled in 1865 to advertise the then new station, this version of Eleanor’s Cross features many of the motifs of the wooden original, which went up in 1291. Eleanor was the wife of King Edward I.
Charing Cross has been used as the official centre point of London since the Restoration period in the late 17th century.
"The Eleanor Cross represents part of London's railway history, is a well-established landmark in the West End and something that should be preserved for future generations of residents and visitors," said Robert Thornton, Network Rail's principal architect and the man in charge of the project.
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