Trafalgar Square

You're standing on the terrace in front of the National Gallery, with all of Trafalgar Square spread out below you. It's named after Admiral Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar in 1805. He won the battle, but was killed during it. His column in the middle stands about fifty metres tall. The bronze panels around its base were cast from captured enemy cannon, and on the south side you can watch Nelson die. During the Second World War, Hitler reportedly planned to ship the whole column to Berlin if his invasion of Britain succeeded. Look at the four lions guarding the base. The sculptor worked from a dead lion, which started to decompose before he had finished. That, the story goes, is why their paws look more like a cat's. On your right, in the corner nearest the gallery, is the fourth plinth. It was built in 1841 for a statue of King William the Fourth on horseback, but the money ran out. For almost a hundred and sixty years it stood empty. Today it belongs to living artists, and the work on top changes every couple of years. Next stop: Horse Guards, about 500 metres or 7 minutes south down Whitehall, on your right.