CHARING CROSS
NORTHERN LINE
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Building the first Charing Cross
The original Charing Cross was built in 1291-1294 by Edward I in memory of his wife, Queen Eleanor of Castile.
It was the most splendid of the twelve Eleanor Crosses erected to mark the successive places where her body rested on its way from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey, and it stood near here until it was destroyed in 1647.
Richard of Crundale and Roger of Crundale were the master masons.
The stone came from Corfe in Dorset and Caen in Normandy; Richard of Corfe and John of Corfe cut the English stone.
Alexander of Abingdon and William of Ireland carved the statues of Queen Eleanor which stood halfway up the Cross, and Ralph of Chichester carved some of the decoration.
Many others whose names are forgotten took part in the work: quarrymen, rough-hewers, masons, mortarers, layers, setters, carpenters, thatchers, scaffolders, labourers, falcon or crane-men, apprentices, hodmen, drivers, horsemen and boatmen.
These pictures of them are by David Gentleman.

The interior of the "Tube" station on the Northern line at Charing Cross station

The station has a David Gentleman’s "Eleanor Cross" mural describing the erection of "Eleanor Cross" in the Charing Cross area.

Note: Notice how the trash can was embedded in the drawing (above the word LITTER)

The following picture taken that day shows the text describing the erection of the Eleanor Cross which is written in the text box which is in the mural Click for a larger image

See another sign from the same station Click for sign's details