Eleanor's Cross, also known as the "chere reine," is the apocryphal origin of the name Charing Cross - the name derives from the small village of Charing that stood in this spot hundreds of years earlier, separating the City of London from Westminster. Since the eighteenth century, this junction has been considered the exact centre of London.
In 1554, Sir Thomas Wyatt led a rebellion against Queen Mary after she announced her impending marriage to Philip of Spain. Wyatt's men met Mary's troops in Charing village, and the ensuing battle resulted in Wyatt surrendering.
Charing Cross station was designed by Sir John Hacksaw and built in 1864 by the South Eastern Railway, one of many train stations to spring up in the core of the city. Despite being just two miles away from London Bridge, the train line took four years to build. A total of 17 bridges and 190 arches stand between Charing Cross and London Bridge.
17 bridges?! That's a bridge too far.
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