Victorian monument Eleanor Cross restored to glory
This s once marked the centre of London
The Eleanor Cross monument at Charing Cross is a replica of the cross that once stood to the south of Trafalgar Square, in the position now occupied by the statue of Charles I the point to which all distances to London are measured.
It was built in 1865 in the forecourt of Charing Cross station to mark the opening of the Charing Cross Hotel.
the Grade-II listed monument, designed by EM Barry, cost £350,000 to restore.
The original Eleanor Cross was one of 12 erected by Edward I between 1291 and 1294 to mark the funeral procession from Lincoln to London of his wife Eleanor of Castile.
After five years behind hoardings, restoration work began last October as the monument was steam cleaned and then stonemasons created almost 100 missing ornamental features and reattached them to the eight-sided structure.
The piece is regarded as one of the most ornately crafted monuments in the country. Much of the work had to be carried out using hand tools.
