It was one of twelve places where Eleanor's coffin rested overnight during the funeral procession from Lincolnshire to her final resting-place at Westminster. At each of these, Edward erected an "Eleanor cross", of which only three now remain. The one which stands at Charing Cross, in front of the railway station, is a re-located Victorian "copy" (designed by architectEdward Middleton Barry) of the original, the latter having stood where a statue of King Charles I of England is now to be found. According to historians, the original cross was not nearly as large or ornate as the Victorian version.
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".
As London is such a large city, all distances (e.g. as seen on road signs) are measured from a particular point. A plaque in Charing Cross, near Trafalgar Square, marks the place from which distances from London are measured.
Samuel Johnson is quoted as saying "I think the full tide of human existence is at Charing-Cross." Source: Life of Johnson (J. Boswell), Vol. II. This may be as true now as it was then.
CharingCross was the last of 12 locations where Eleanor's coffin rested overnight during the funeral procession from Lincolnshire to her final resting-place at Westminster, half a mile away.
The one which stands in front of CharingCross railway station is a re-located Victorian copy (designed by architect Edward Middleton Barry) of the original, which was not nearly as large or ornate as the Victorian version.
London's taxi drivers, in their traditional fl cabs, have to learn most of the streets within a six-mile radius of CharingCross when acquiring "The Knowledge".
London is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and one of the largest cities in Europe.
The London public transport system is one of the few systems in the world to be a tourist attraction in its own right; its infrastructure, however, is, and historically has been, financially stretched and under-resourced, leading to frequent difficulties and delays in making journeys.
The city is home to the London Psychogeographical Association and boasts five professional symphony orchestras; the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
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