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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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 Night view of Eros in
Piccadilly Circus Circle by deecat
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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 These signs are long gone! by Bwana_Brown
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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 picadilly and buildings by willy_wonkaLeave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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 Picadilly Circus by CoAir13Leave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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 Piccadilly Circus in the Heart
of London by easyoar
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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I doubt there is any London tourist who doesn’t pass this spot at least once during their visit. For locals too, it is one of the most popular meeting places in the West End, as everyone knows it and transport links are so good.
At the centre of the “circus” is the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, with the statue of an archer which everyone calls known as Eros, or the Angel of Christian Charity, but which should more properly be known as Anteros, the twin brother of Eros and the God of Selfless Love. Following some re-routing a few years ago of the various roads that meet here, the paved area surrounding the fountain can be reached without risking life and limb crossing the busy traffic, so the base of the fountain has become an even more popular meeting and resting place.
Piccadilly Circus is particularly lively at night, when the neon lights shine out in a blaze of colour. Incidentally, this is no modern phenomenon - the first electric advertisements appeared here in 1910. I took the following information (abbreviated) about the neon signs from Wikipedia, as it was new and fascinating reading for me, a Londoner from birth!
Piccadilly Circus used to be surrounded by illuminated advertising hoardings on buildings, starting in the early 1900s, but only one building now carries them, namely the one in the north-western corner. The earliest signs used incandescent light bulbs, these were replaced with neon lamps, as well as moving signs (there was a large Guinness clock at one time). From December 1998 digital projectors were briefly used for the Coke sign, while the early 2000s have seen a gradual move to LED displays. The number of signs has reduced over the years as the rental costs have increased. As of 2008, the site has six illuminated advertising screens above three large retail units, facing Piccadilly Circus on the north side. Directions: Nearest tube is of course Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly & Bakerloo lines). It’s also only about 5 minutes walk from Leicester Square (Piccadilly & Northern lines) and slightly more from Green Park (Piccadilly, Jubilee & Victoria lines).
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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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 Picadilly Circus Signage must
cost a bit?!!! by GroverdeanLeave a Comment Directions: Piccadilly Circus tube
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