A Tribute to Medieval Queen Eleanor: Victorian Replica Cross in London

The Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross, erected in 1864-1865 in the forecourt of Charing Cross railway station in London, is a replica of the medieval Eleanor cross at Charing. Designed by Edward Middleton Barry, who also designed the railway station, the memorial was built in tribute to his first wife, Eleanor of Castile. The memorial includes multiple statues of Queen Eleanor sculpted by Thomas Earp. The coats of arms of England, León, Castile and Ponthieu are prominently displayed.

Barry, who also sought help from fellow architect Arthur Ashpitel, designed the memorial based on three surviving drawings of the Charing Cross, found at the Bodleian Library, the British Museum, and the Royal Society of Antiquaries. However, due to the fragmentary nature of these findings, Barry also drew references from a wider range of sources, including the other surviving Eleanor crosses and Queen Eleanor's tomb at Westminster Abbey.

The original Eleanor crosses were erected by Edward I as part of a network of crosses to mark the route of his wife's remains from Lincoln to London. Of the original twelve Eleanor crosses, only three still remain today. The memorial now stands where the medieval Charing Cross once stood, which was destroyed in 1647. The location of the memorial near Westminster Abbey is not accidental, as the original Eleanor crosses were built in close proximity to significant religious sites.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons