Picadilly Circus, London (UK) » Entertainment » Attractions

Piccadilly Circus, located in the city of Westminster has several nearby sites and attractions and is one of London's popular and most visited tourist places. Sit by the statue of Eros, look at the big advertising screen and take some photos. Make sure you discover Harry Potter Locations, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, St. James’s Square etc.

St. James’s Church ( Visit Site )

A place of worship for those who follow the Christian faith, St. James’s Church in Piccadilly, London, is an Anglican church built and designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The church first opened its doors to its worshippers in 1684. The building's architecture gives an insight into the kind of material used during those times, such as red brick, Portland stone, Corinthian columns, carved marble and lime wood interiors. The design of the church is the brainwork of the famous woodcarver Grinling Gibbons.

The Church is also a lively marketplace where hundreds of locals buy daily knick-knacks, artefacts, and crafts. Known popularly as Piccadilly Market, this place holds an antiques and collectables market every Tuesday. From Wednesday onwards until Saturday, it organises an arts and crafts market.

Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain

The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain was built in 1893 to commemorate the philanthropic works of Lord Shaftesbury, who dedicated his life to serving the poor and needy. The fountain has a semi-nude statue of Eros, also known as Angel of Christian Charity. The statue is made in aluminium, a rare material to be used during Victorian times. One can say it was a groundbreaking decision to carve the statue out of aluminium.

London Pavilion

London Pavilion stands beside the Shaftesbury Avenue building and is a part of the London Trocadero entertainment complex. At the onset, it served as the venue for London Music Hall until it was merged to become a part of the entertainment complex. The building’s construction was completed in 1885 and was the dream project of its architect James Ebenezer Saunders. Up to 1934, it was known as the London Music Hall, after which F Chancellor rebuilt it into a 716-seat cinema theatre. Later, in 2000, it was sold as a part of the Trocadero Centre. The basement of the building is connected to the Piccadilly Circus tube station providing easy access to the visitors. In August 2008, ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not’ opened its branch at the London Pavilion.

Regent Street

Regent Street is a major shopping destination in London’s West End. It was named after the Prince Regent, who later became George IV, King of Great Britain. John Nash designed the street in 1811, which was further renovated, re-designed over the past centuries. Barring the exception of All Souls church, most of the original structures designed by Nash have been replaced by new structures. The Street, which originates in Carton’s house in St. James, passes through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, finally winds up at All Soul’s Church. Every building has been granted the status of a ‘Listed Building’, making the area a Regent conservation area.

The street boasts of various historical sites and important landmarks such as All Soul’s Church, BBC Broadcasting House, the 18th-century Café Royal, Dickins& Jones department store, Hamley's toy shop, Hollister Co./Gilly Hicks, Liberty department store, Oxford Circus tube station, Paris Theatre and the University of Westminster. Regent Street delivers a wide range of events throughout the year, including the annual Regent Street Festival when the whole place is closed for traffic.

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is a public place and a road junction of London, known for historical sites, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. The Circus connects Piccadilly, Glasshouse Street, the Haymarket, Regent Street, Coventry Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. It is a popular meeting point and has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

The name of the circle originated in the 17th century after Robert Baker, a tailor who was famous for stitching piccadills, or piccadillies (collars). There are numerous stores in Piccadilly renowned for their fine tailoring of women and men's outfits.

Another highlight of Piccadilly Circus is the dazzling billboards, an indication for tourists emerging from the Piccadilly Circus Tube Station that they have finally arrived in Central London’s most sought after hot spot.

Besides the giant illuminated boards, Piccadilly Circus is a significant location for many famous landmarks. One of them is the statue of Eros. Initially called the Shaftsbury Monument in memory of Lord Shaftsbury, the statue’s exteriors are coated with bronze, while the actual statue is made of aluminium.

Green Park

Green Park is one of the greenest areas in London, covering an area of 19-hectares. It is located in between Piccadilly, Constitution Hill and Queen’s Walk. Even though it merges with St. James’s Park at Queens Gardens, it is quite different from it with more wooden meadows and green lands. Until 1668, it was a place for combats and was a part of the Poultney family’s estate. An area of the park of about 40-acres called ‘Sandpit Field’ was surrendered to Charles II, who redesigned it to create Upper St. James’s Park. The main purpose of this park is to serve visitors as a place for picnics, sunbathing and relaxing. It is also used by joggers, runners and fitness enthusiasts.

The park contains no lakes or buildings; it has few monuments such as Canada Memorial by Pierre Granche, Constance Fund Fountain and the RAF Bomber Command Memorial, which opened in 2012.

The Mall

The Mall in London is a landmark ceremonial route linking Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch, to Buckingham Palace. It is bordered by Green Park and St. James’ Palace in the north and St. James’ Park in the south. At the eastern end of the route, you will find the Horse Guards Parade, a large parade ground where the annual ceremonies of Trooping the Colour take place. For many years, the road at its White hall end was the location of London County Council and the Metropolitan Board of Works. Today, it is used for ceremonial functions and sports events such as the monarch's official birthday, London Marathon, Beating Retreat and the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Millions of spectators gather at The Mall and near Buckingham Palace to watch the Royal family’s appearance.

Mayfair

Mayfair (originally called The May Fair) is an expensive business district in London bordered by Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Regent Street, and Oxford Street. The district was named after the ‘May Fair’, 16th century fortnightly fair that took place at the Shepherd Market site. Like Regent Street, it occupies an important position on the Monopoly board game as the most costly place to rent in London. The district is a well-developed commercial centre providing high-quality workspaces to big companies, hedge funds, wealth managers and private banks. There are some exclusive residential properties, but most of the area is now converted into a commercial district to accommodate offices, embassies, shopping centres, luxury hotels, museums and restaurants.