The Mall
The Mall is a processional avenue that leads eastward from the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, through the entire length of Saint James's Park, to Admiralty Arch, then on to Trafalgar Square. The Mall is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays, public holidays, and during ceremonial occasions. The Mall was originally laid out for the Stuarts in the seventeenth century as a ceremonial route. However, in the early twentieth century, the Mall was completely redesigned and expanded to match similar ceremonial routes in Berlin, Mexico City, Paris, Saint Petersburg, and Washington, D.C. It was paved with red brick to give the impression of a red carpet leading to Buckingham Palace, which also received a new façade at the same time. For visitors, a stroll along The Mall affords great views of Buckingham Palace at its western end.
