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| Piccadilly Circus tips and photos posted by real travelers and London locals.
Piccadilly Circus, SW1
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Piccadilly Circus is one of those famous London landmarks that you always see pictures of.
It is at the junction of 5 busy roads and is lit by large electric advertisements at night.
The statue of Eros is at the heart of the junction. Eros was the pagan god of love, and the statue rises above a bronze fountain.
I just read that Piccadilly takes it name from a 17th century frilly collar called a 'piccadil'. Apparently a dressmaker grew very rich making them and then built a house near Piccadilly Circus.
Piccadilly Circus is always bustling and crowded - keep and eye on your valuables! Leave a Comment
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Piccadilly Circus is like no other area in London. With its giant electric-neon signs along the complete circle of Regent Street, and its famous fountain called Eros, it marks the beginning of London's entertainment district.
At one time, it was upscale with its colorful cafes, theatres, shops, & flower sellers. The southern edge is still somewhat that way; however, the rest has steadily slipped to "down scale".
The name comes from an early 17th Century tailor named Robert Blake who designed a stiff collar called "a picadil" that became the "height of fashion". After making his fortune, Blake built a huge house just north of what is now Piccadilly Circus. People who were jealous of his success called it "Piccadilly House". Soon, the area was known as Piccadilly.
A great London oddity is the statue in the middle of Piccadilly Circus called Eros. The Seventh Earl of Shaftresbury was a kind man who helped many people, & when he died, the public donated money toward a memorial statue. It was suppose to be a statue of the Christian Spirit of Charity with a large fountain at its base.
However, it turned out to be the mythological God of Love, Eros, who was placed in a base so small that the water splashed anyone who passed by!
During the 1920s, while Piccadilly tube station was excavated & built, Eros was moved to Embankment Gardens. During WWII, Eros was taken to Egham & Surry. Unfortunately, Eros spent the years after the War lying on a mattress in a small room in County Hall. Finally, Eros was replaced to the midddle of Piccadilly Circus but facing the wrong way. Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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Visiting London without stopping at Piccadilly Circus is like going to New York City and not seeing Times Square - it just is not done! This old photo from 1979 shows that it was a happening place then, especially in the middle of a summer day. Those famous old neon signs have now been replaced by different ones using LED technology, but you still get the idea!
Piccadilly Circus is actually a major meeting point of various streets in England and, in fact, a 'circus' is a circular open space where streets come together. This one was built in 1819 and its name originates from this old area of London where men's collars called 'piccadills' were sold in the mid-1600s. The Circus is also famous for the nude winged 'Eros' statue to Lord Shaftsbury that was installed here in 1892-93, something very risque in Queen Victoria's time! Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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After a long day of walking and sightseeing, I promised Ethan some time for kids stuff. This complex houses restaurants, shops, cinemas and bars. It also has "Funland" - a bowling alley, pool hall, simulator rides, and video games. Not the greatest fun for me, but worth it to keep him happy! Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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night or day, picadilly is a must see! by night its bright, flashy and bold, by day, its a cool place to sit by the fountain and watch the traffic flying around. while it is obviously a big marketing tool these days, picadilly is also the historic heart of london and a focal point for various roads that go off in different directs. when i was there in 2004 the good old bollywood girls were dancing away in front of the neon signs! Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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Piccadilly Circus is the home of Eros (see separate tip), but it is also the home of some very loud neon signs advertising all sorts of things from Coke, to beer and electrical goods. Although these signs are very bright and are highly visible in the daytime, they are better viewed at night. A lot of the signs are moving neon, so you may need a very slow exposure on your camera to capture all of the detail in the sign.
This isn't one of my favourite places in London, but it does seem very popular with foreign tourists. Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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The best part about Piccadilly Circus is that it’s not really a circus with animals and there are no mimes there. Piccadilly takes it name from a 17th century frilly collar called a picadil. A dressmaker grew rich making them and built a house in the vicinity. Circus is another name for an arena or square.
For many years, Piccadilly Circus has been a famous London Landmark. It’s a busy plaza in the heart of London at the junction of five major streets: Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly and Covent Street. It was created by John Nash as part of King George IV's plan to connect Carlton House with Regent's Park. At the center of the area is the statue of Eros which was unveiled in 1893. It was intended by the sculptor, Sir Albert Gilbert, to be the Angel of Christian Charity, but Eros has persisted as the name. This famous statue is one of the great symbols of London. The actual figure rises above a fountain, which is made in bronze, but Eros is made out of aluminum, at that time a rare and novel material. Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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Okay, so technically it's just a roundabout (or was a roundabout), but it's still cool, it is an icon, a landmark. The statue of Eros was smaller than I thought, but it definitely drew people in, can you feel the love? :)
Piccadilly is in the middle of a great shopping area, and you are not too far away from Carnaby Street or Oxford Street either. Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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The lovely statue situated in Piccadilly Circus is "The Horses of Helios".
As the story tells, Helios was the Greek god of the sun. Each day he drove his golden chariot across the sky, east to west. At night, he would rest before crossing the sky the next day. His chariot was made of gold and pulled by 4 golden horses: Pyrois, Eos, Aethon, and Phleyon. Leave a Comment Directions: Not far from the Piccadilly Circus
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Piccadilly Circus is formed by the junction of five streets and is one of the busiest traffic circles in the world. If you can make it through the crowds of tourists you will see the statue known as Eros, the Greek God of Love (but really meant to be the angel of charity). This must be the most visited spot in London, so keep your belongings close at all times. It is a popular place to meet before heading off into the West End. Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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