Everybody’s heard of Trafalgar Square and the famous (but filthy) pigeons who live within it. But why is it there? In the middle of the square stands Nelson’s Column. An impressive 46 m (151 ft) high, it is topped by a statue of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, the English naval commander who successfully repelled the Spanish Armada in 1805.

Trafalgar Square is located at the end of west end of the Strand, one of London’s busiest roads. It’s a great place to start a day of touring the sights – both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery are located on the northern side and it’s within walking distance of both the banks of the Thames to the south and Picadilly Circus to the north.

Keep your eye open for events in Trafalgar Square itself as well. It’s used as a venue for concerts and celebrations and is always packed for these. It also has the curious ‘empty plinth’ (constructed for a statue that was never built), which is now used for interesting modern displays of public art – some of them really quite bizarre.