67-504: Charing Cross ( / ˈ tʃ ær ɪ ŋ / CHARR -ing ) is a junction in Westminster , London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London " and became the point from which distances from London are measured . Clockwise from north, the routes that meet at Charing Cross are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road ;
134-551: A portcullis as the main charge, which now forms the crest . The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Westminster. Alexander of Abingdon Alexander of Abingdon , also known as Alexander Imaginator or Alexander le Imagineur (i.e. "the image-maker"), was one of the leading sculptors of England around 1300. Alexander of Abingdon is assumed to have been from Abingdon, Berkshire , which
201-671: A building named Golden Cross House. The railway station opened in 1864, fronted on the Strand with the Charing Cross Hotel. In 1865, a replacement cross was commissioned from E. M. Barry by the South Eastern Railway as the centrepiece of the station forecourt. It is not a replica, being of an ornate Victorian Gothic design based on George Gilbert Scott 's Oxford Martyrs' Memorial (1838). The Cross rises 70 feet (21 m) in three main stages on an octagonal plan, surmounted by
268-628: A car or van, 6.0%; work mainly at or from home, 5.5%; bicycle, 3.1%; train, 3.0%. Westminster Children's Services administers many primary and secondary schools. In addition, there are several state-funded faith schools, primarily Church of England (CE), and Roman Catholic (RC), but Christian non-denominational (ND) schools are also in the borough, and there are several non-profit-making junior and senior independent schools . The city operates two reference libraries; Westminster Reference Library and Marylebone Information Service. Westminster Reference Library holds several special collections: of which
335-694: A city. In 1585 the Westminster Court of Burgesses was established to administer certain judicial powers in an area known as the City and Liberty of Westminster . From 1856 the area was also governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . From 1856 until 1900
402-517: A claim thus widely repeated, but unsupported by archaeological or other evidence. To the east of the Charing Cross road junction is Charing Cross railway station , situated on the Strand. On the other side of the river, connected by the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridges , are Waterloo East and Waterloo stations. The nearest London Underground stations are Charing Cross and Embankment . City of Westminster The City of Westminster
469-624: A commonly agreed central datum point , various points were used for this purpose. John Ogilby 's Britannia of 1675, of which editions and derivations continued to be published throughout the 18th century, used the "Standard" (a former conduit head) in Cornhill ; while John Cary 's New Itinerary of 1798 used the General Post Office in Lombard Street . The milestones on the main turnpike roads were mostly measured from their terminus which
536-516: A few days ahead of that a royal charter was issued conferring city status on the new borough of Westminster from its creation. The Court of Burgesses, which had ceded most practical powers to the newer authorities, was finally abolished in 1901. The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 . It was a merger of the old Paddington, St Marylebone and Westminster metropolitan boroughs, and Westminster's city status
603-415: A hotel, a theatre , and a music hall (which had lain beneath the arches of the railway station). Charing Cross Road , the main route from the north (which became the east side of Trafalgar Square), was named after the railway station, itself a major destination for traffic, rather than after the original cross. By the late 18th century, the Charing Cross district was increasingly coming to be perceived as
670-531: A man to destroy it; however he instead hid it and brought it back to the new King, Charles II (Charles I's son), and his Parliament who had the statue erected here in 1675. A prominent pillory , where malefactors were publicly flogged, stood alongside for centuries. About 200 yards to the east was the Hungerford Market , established at the end of the 16th century; and to the north was the King's Mews , or Royal Mews,
737-466: A monument to resemble the one lost under Cromwell's low church Britain took place in 1864 in Britain's main era of medieval revivalism. The next year the memorial was completed and Cardinal Wiseman died, having been appointed the first Archbishop of Westminster in 1850, with many Anglican churches also having restored or re-created their medieval ornamentations by the end of the century. By this time England
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#1732844084218804-444: A population of 204,300 at the 2021 census. The original settlement of Westminster was historically a separate urban area to the west of London, growing up around the minster church of Westminster Abbey. Westminster was an important centre of royal authority from Saxon times, and was declared a city in 1540. It was gradually absorbed into the urban area of London, but London's official city boundaries remained unchanged, covering just
871-614: A river bend, in this case, referring to a bend in the Thames . A debunked folk etymology claimed the name is a corruption of chère reine ("dear queen" in French), but the name pre-dates Queen Eleanor's death by at least a hundred years. The suffix "Cross" refers to the Eleanor cross made during 1291–94 by order of King Edward I as a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile . This place latter comprised little more than wayside cottages serving
938-504: A spire and cross. The shields in the panels of the first stage are copied from the Eleanor Crosses and bear the arms of England, Castile , Leon and Ponthieu ; above the 2nd parapet are eight statues of Queen Eleanor. The Cross was designated a Grade II* monument on 5 February 1970. The month before, the bronze equestrian statue of Charles, on a pedestal of carved Portland stone, was given Grade I listed protection. The rebuilding of
1005-645: Is a London borough with city status in Greater London , England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government . It contains a large part of central London , including most of the West End , such as the major shopping areas around Oxford Street , Regent Street , Piccadilly and Bond Street , and the entertainment district of Soho . Many London landmarks are within
1072-465: Is also attributed to Alexander of Abingdon. The sculptor's style is characterised by a subtle treatment of draperies, which are both heavy and intricate. There are stylistic affinities between Alexander of Abingdon's figures and the paintings and illuminations in the Westminster style. Abingdon's work has been associated particularly with that of the painter and illuminator, Master Walter of Durham , who
1139-454: Is at 14 St James's Square . Many countries' embassies or High Commissions are in Westminster. The current Westminster coat of arms was given by an official grant on 2 September 1964. Westminster had other arms before, which had a chief identical to the chief in the present arms. The symbols in the lower two thirds of the shield stand for former municipalities now merged with the city, Paddington and St Marylebone. The original arms had
1206-450: The Diocese of London in 1540, by letters patent which also granted city status to Westminster, a status retained after the diocese was abolished in 1550. The area was historically part of the county of Middlesex . Whilst an important centre of royal authority from Saxon times, Westminster was not formally incorporated as a borough for local government purposes until 1900. However, it
1273-602: The Long Parliament or Oliver Cromwell himself in the Civil War . A 70 ft (21 m)-high stone sculpture in front of Charing Cross railway station , erected in 1865, is a reimagining of the medieval cross, on a larger scale, more ornate, and not on the original site. It was designed by the architect E. M. Barry and carved by Thomas Earp of Lambeth out of Portland stone , Mansfield stone (a fine sandstone) and Aberdeen granite ; and it stands 222 yards (203 metres) to
1340-555: The Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) and Big Ben . Charing Cross is the notional centre of London and the location where distances from London are measured. This custom appears to have begun with the set distances of the 12 Eleanor crosses to Lincoln, England in the north, and expanded even after destruction of most of the crosses. These include Green Park , Hyde Park , Kensington Gardens , Regent's Park and St James's Park . In addition to parks and open spaces within
1407-474: The Royal Mews in the northern area of Trafalgar Square , and built specifically for the Palace of Whitehall (much of the east side of Whitehall ). A variant from the hazy Middle English orthography of the late fourteenth century is Cherryngescrouche . The stone cross was the work of the medieval sculptor, Alexander of Abingdon . It was destroyed in 1647 on the orders of the purely Parliamentarian phase of
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#17328440842181474-525: The Strand leading to the City ; Northumberland Avenue leading to the Thames Embankment ; Whitehall leading to Parliament Square ; The Mall leading to Admiralty Arch and Buckingham Palace ; and two short roads leading to Pall Mall . Historically, the name was derived from the hamlet of Charing ('Riverbend') that occupied the area of this important road junction in the middle ages, together with
1541-518: The Tower Garrison and surrendered. The Eleanor Cross was pulled down, by order of Parliament, in 1647, at the time of the English Civil War , becoming the subject of a popular Royalist ballad : Methinks the common-council shou'd Of it have taken pity, 'Cause, good old cross, it always stood So firmly in the city. Since crosses you so much disdain, Faith, if I were you, For fear
1608-660: The Waltham Cross , one of the twelve monumental " Eleanor crosses " commissioned by her husband, King Edward I , after the Queen's death in Harby, Nottinghamshire in 1290. These memorials marked the places where Eleanor's body rested for the night on the funerary route to Westminster. On the basis of stylistic similarities, the sculpture of a standing Virgin and Child, acquired by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2003,
1675-570: The "centre" of the metropolis (supplanting the traditional heartland of the City to the east). From the early 19th century, legislation applicable only to the London metropolis used Charing Cross as a central point to define its geographical scope. Its later use in legislation waned in favour of providing a schedule of local government areas and became mostly obsolete with the creation of Greater London in 1965. Road distances from London continue to be measured from Charing Cross. Prior to its selection as
1742-573: The Chapel and Hospital of St Mary Rounceval was founded at Charing. It occupied land at the corner of the modern Whitehall and into the centre of Northumberland Avenue , running down to a wharf by the river. It was an Augustinian house, tied to a mother house at Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees . The house and lands were seized for the king in 1379, under a statute "for the forfeiture of the lands of schismatic aliens". Protracted legal action returned some rights to
1809-528: The City of Westminster also have a large concentration of hedge fund and private equity funds. The West End is known as the Theatre District and is home to many of the leading performing arts businesses. Soho and its adjoining areas house a concentration of media and creative companies. Oxford Street is a busy shopping destination. The City of Westminster contains some of the most famous sites in London, including Buckingham Palace , Westminster Abbey ,
1876-598: The City. Some of these structures were later moved or destroyed, but reference to them persisted as if they still remained in place. An exaggerated but well-meaning criticism was that "all the Books of Roads ... published, differ in the Situation of Mile Stones, and instead of being a Guide to the Traveller, serve only to confound him". William Camden speculated in 1586 that Roman roads in Britain had been measured from London Stone ,
1943-570: The County of London was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs . The parish of Paddington became the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington , and the parish of the St Marylebone became the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone . The various territories within the old City and Liberty of Westminster became the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster . The new boroughs came into being on 1 November 1900;
2010-559: The King should rule again, I'd pull down Tiburn too. At the Restoration (1660 or shortly after) eight of the regicides were executed here, including the notable Fifth Monarchist , Colonel Thomas Harrison . A statue of Charles I was, likewise in Charles II's reign, erected on the site. This had been made in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur , in the reign of Charles I, but in 1649 Parliament ordered
2077-859: The Sherlock Holmes, Arts and Business collections are the most comprehensive. In addition to the collections in Westminster Reference Library the city has two specialist libraries: the Westminster Music Library , the largest music library in the UK and the Westminster Chinese Library in the Charing Cross Library. Free City of Westminster operated public lending libraries in Westminster include: The London Library , an independent lending library funded by subscription,
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2144-525: The South Coast including Clapham Junction , Sutton , Brighton , Eastbourne , Gatwick Airport ( [REDACTED] ), Guildford , Portsmouth , and Southampton . Services operated by Southern . Gatwick Airport [REDACTED] Services operated by Gatwick Express . The City of Westminster is served by 27 London Underground stations and 10 of the 11 lines. By 2009 Westminster City Council had electric vehicle charging points in 15 locations through
2211-413: The adjoining fields, eventually absorbing nearby villages such as Marylebone and Kensington , and gradually creating the vast Greater London that exists today. Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries abolished the abbey at Westminster, although the former abbey church is still called Westminster Abbey . The church was briefly the cathedral of the Diocese of Westminster created from part of
2278-515: The arch – crash – knock – children look round – mother's head off – sandwich in her hand – no mouth to put it in – head of family off." The story echoes an accident of 11 April 1800, when the Chatham and Rochester coach was emerging from the gateway of the Golden Cross, and "a young woman, sitting on the top, threw her head back, to prevent her striking against the beam; but there being so much luggage on
2345-497: The area called the City of London , broadly corresponding to the medieval walled city. From the 19th century some metropolis -wide administrative bodies were introduced. The County of London was created in 1889, replaced in 1965 by the larger administrative area of Greater London , which since 2000 has been led by the Mayor of London . The cities of London and Westminster retain their separate city statuses despite having long been part of
2412-516: The border with the City of London formed the Strand District . Beyond the liberty to the north, the two parishes of Paddington and St Marylebone were also governed by their vestries. The Westminster District was renamed the St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry in 1887, and unsuccessfully petitioned to be incorporated as a borough in 1897. In 1900 the lower tier of local government within
2479-437: The borough, including Buckingham Palace , Westminster Abbey , Whitehall , Westminster Cathedral , 10 Downing Street , and Trafalgar Square . The borough also has a number of major parks and open spaces , including Hyde Park , and most of Regent's Park . Away from central London the borough also includes various inner suburbs, including St John's Wood , Maida Vale , Bayswater , Belgravia and Pimlico . The borough had
2546-653: The borough, the City owns and maintains East Finchley Cemetery and crematorium in the London Borough of Barnet . Four National Rail stations serve the City of Westminster: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Heathrow Airport [REDACTED] Services operated by Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line ( [REDACTED] ) . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] South London, Sussex and
2613-410: The city (13 car parks and two on-street points). Users pay an annual fee to cover administration costs to register and use the points. By 2018 there were 60 electric vehicle charging locations. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 21.0% of all residents aged 16–74; on foot, 9.3%; bus, minibus or coach, 9.3%; driving
2680-509: The eastern portion of the property. In June 1874, the duke's property at Charing Cross was purchased by the Metropolitan Board of Works for the formation of Northumberland Avenue. The frontage of the Rounceval property caused the narrowing at the end of the Whitehall entry to Charing Cross, and formed the section of Whitehall formerly known as Charing Cross, until road widening in the 1930s caused
2747-482: The ethnic group of respondents in the 1991 to 2021 censuses in Westminster. The borough ranks highest on one standard criteria in analysing housing supply and demand, the proportion of private rented accommodation relative to other types of housing in England. A study in 2017 by Trust for London and The New Policy Institute found that Westminster has the third-highest pay inequality of the 32 London boroughs. It also has
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2814-432: The forecourt of this terminus station stands the ornate Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross , a taller emulation of the original, and built to mark the station's opening in 1864. A bronze equestrian statue of Charles I , erected in 1675, stands on a high plinth, situated roughly where the medieval monumental cross (the 'Charing Cross') had previously stood for 353 years (since its construction in 1294) until destroyed in 1647 by
2881-530: The former Roman city with its still-existing Roman walls, was repopulated and Lundenwic declined, becoming pastoral and partly known as Aldwych (Aldwic—'old village'), the name of which lives on for a section of Westminster. The origins of the City of Westminster pre-date the Norman Conquest of England. In the mid-11th century, King Edward the Confessor began the construction of an abbey at Westminster, only
2948-408: The foundations of which survive today. Between the abbey and the river he built a palace, thereby guaranteeing that the seat of Government would be fixed at Westminster, and inevitably drawing power and wealth west out of the old City of London. For centuries Westminster and the City of London were geographically quite distinct. It was not until the sixteenth century that houses began to be built over
3015-527: The general architectural ornament. From 1291 to 1294, he was employed on carving the marble tomb-chest for the bronze effigy of Queen Eleanor of Castile in Lincoln Cathedral . Alexander of Abingdon also supplied wax models for three small images cast by William of Suffolk for Eleanor's heart in the Blackfriars ' church in London. All of these works are now lost. He is last documented in 1316–17, when he
3082-524: The grand Eleanor cross that once marked the site. The medieval monumental cross, the Charing Cross (1294–1647), was the largest and most ornate instance of a chain of medieval Eleanor crosses running from Lincoln to this location. It was a landmark for many centuries of the hamlet of Charing, Westminster , which later gave way to government property; a little of the Strand; and Trafalgar Square. The cross in its various historical forms has also lent its name to its locality, including Charing Cross Station . On
3149-596: The latter two being separated from Westminster by the River Thames . Charing Cross in Westminster is the notional centre of London, being the point from which distances from London are measured. After the depopulation of Roman London in the 5th century, an Anglo Saxon agricultural and trade settlement likely developed to its west, associated with the Middle Saxons , sometimes called Lundenwic ('London village' or London port'). Over time, Lundenburh ('London fort'),
3216-423: The latter, the dangers to public safety of the quite low archway to access the inn's coaching yard were memorably pointed out by Mr Jingle : "Heads, heads – take care of your heads", cried the loquacious stranger as they came out under the low archway which in those days formed the entrance to the coachyard. "Terrible place – dangerous work – other day – five children – mother – tall lady, eating sandwiches – forgot
3283-494: The lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards . Within the City and Liberty of Westminster, the three parishes of St George Hanover Square , St James Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields were governed by their vestries , whilst the parishes covering the central part of Westminster formed the Westminster District and the parishes and territories adjoining
3350-514: The north-east of the original cross, focal to the station forecourt, facing the Strand . Since 1675 the site of the cross has been occupied by a statue of Charles I , the king beheaded during the Cromwellian era, mounted on a horse. The site is recognised by modern convention as the centre of London for determining distances (whether geodesically or by road network) in preference to other measurement points (such as St Paul's Cathedral which remains
3417-555: The prior, but in 1414, Henry V suppressed the 'alien' houses. The priory fell into a long decline from lack of money and arguments regarding the collection of tithes with the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields . In 1541, religious artefacts were removed to St Margaret's , and the chapel was adapted as a private house; its almshouse were sequestered to the Royal Palace. In 1608–09, the Earl of Northampton built Northumberland House on
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#17328440842183484-417: The rebuilding of the south side of the street which created a wide thoroughfare. In 1554, Charing Cross was the site of the final battle of Wyatt's Rebellion . This was an attempt by Thomas Wyatt and others to overthrow Queen Mary I of England , soon after her accession to the throne, and replace her with Lady Jane Grey . Wyatt's army had come from Kent, and with London Bridge barred to them, had crossed
3551-463: The revolutionary government of Oliver Cromwell . The famously beheaded King, appearing ascendant, is the work of French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur . Charing Cross is marked on contemporary maps as the road junction around the statue's traffic island, though it is also a thoroughfare in postal addresses: Drummonds Bank , on the corner with The Mall, retains the address 49 Charing Cross and 1-4 Charing Cross continues to exist. The name previously applied to
3618-516: The river by what was then the next bridge upstream, at Hampton Court . Their circuitous route brought them down St Martin's Lane to Whitehall. The palace was defended by 1000 men under Sir John Gage at Charing Cross; they retreated within Whitehall after firing their shot, causing consternation within, thinking the force had changed sides. The rebels – themselves fearful of artillery on the higher ground around St James's – did not press their attack and marched on to Ludgate , where they were met by
3685-453: The roof of the coach as to hinder her laying herself sufficiently back, it caught her face, and tore the flesh in a dreadful manner." The inn and its yard, pillory, and what remained of the Royal Mews, made way for Trafalgar Square, and a new Golden Cross Hotel was built in the 1830s on the triangular block fronted by South Africa House . A nod to this is made by some offices on the Strand, in
3752-507: The root of the English and Welsh part of the Great Britain road numbering scheme ). Charing Cross is marked on modern maps as a road junction, and was used in street numbering for the section of Whitehall between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square. Since 1 January 1931 this segment has more logically and officially become the northern end of Whitehall. At some time between 1232 and 1236,
3819-519: The same urban area. The modern borough was created in 1965 as part of the same reforms which created Greater London, covering the area of the three former metropolitan boroughs of Westminster , Paddington and St Marylebone . The local authority is Westminster City Council . To the east, Westminster borders the City of London , with the boundary marked by Temple Bar . Other neighbouring boroughs (anti-clockwise from north-east) are Camden , Brent , Kensington and Chelsea , Wandsworth and Lambeth ,
3886-406: The second-least affordable private rent for low earners in London, behind only Kensington and Chelsea . In education, 82% of adults and 69% of 19-year-olds having Level 3 qualifications. The City of Westminster covers all or part of the following areas of London : Many global corporations have their global or European headquarters in the City of Westminster. Mayfair and St James's within
3953-509: The stables for the Palace of Whitehall and thus the King's own presence at the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster). The whole area of the broad pavements of what was a three-way main junction with private (stables) turn-off was a popular place of street entertainment. Samuel Pepys records in his diaries visiting the taverns and watching the entertainments and executions that were held there. This
4020-467: The whole stretch of road between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square, but since 1 January 1931 most of this section of road has been designated part of the 'Whitehall' thoroughfare. Erect a rich and stately carved cross, Whereon her statue shall with glory shine; And henceforth see you call it Charing Cross. The name of the lost hamlet, Charing, is derived from the Old English word cierring ,
4087-511: Was associated with the royal master mason, Michael of Canterbury . It is likely that Alexander and Michael of Canterbury also worked together at Ely Cathedral on the tomb of Bishop William of Louth (died 1298), Alexander again being responsible for the effigy. Alexander of Abingdon's three authenticated sculptures are now on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. These figures represent Queen Eleanor of Castile and they were carved for
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#17328440842184154-653: Was combined with the south of the mews when Trafalgar Square was built on the site in 1832, the rest of the stable yard becoming the National Gallery primarily. A major London coaching inn, the "Golden Cross" – first mentioned in 1643 – faced this junction. From here, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, coaches linked variously terminuses of: Dover , Brighton , Bath , Bristol, Cambridge , Holyhead and York . The inn features in Sketches by Boz , David Copperfield and The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens . In
4221-418: Was declared a city in 1540 on the elevation of Westminster Abbey to being a cathedral . From at least 1545 there was also a Westminster parliamentary borough (constituency). The Anglican Diocese of Westminster was short-lived, being absorbed back into the Diocese of London in 1550. Despite having no borough corporation and having ceased to be the seat of a diocese, Westminster continued to be described as
4288-615: Was peripheral to the free-passage urban, London roads. Ten of these are notable: Hyde Park Corner , Whitechapel Church , the southern end of London Bridge , the east end of Westminster Bridge , Shoreditch Church , Tyburn Turnpike (Marble Arch), Holborn Bars , St Giles's Pound , Hicks Hall (as to the Great North Road ), and the Stones' End in The Borough . Some roads into Surrey and Sussex were measured from St Mary-le-Bow church in
4355-448: Was something of a centre of stonecutting and masonry. By 1291 he was active in London , where he probably lived for most of his life. In the accounts of the executors of the estate of Queen Eleanor of Castile , Alexander is described as a maker of images (" le ymagour "). It seems that this term indicated a maker of statues of human figures carved in the round, rather than a mason working on
4422-511: Was the epicentre of the Gothic Revival . It was intertwined with deeply philosophical movements associated with a re-awakening of "High Church" or Anglo-Catholic self-belief (and by the Catholic convert Augustus Welby Pugin ) concerned by the growth of religious nonconformism. The cross, having been revived, gave its name to a railway station , a tube station , a police station, a hospital ,
4489-564: Was transferred to the enlarged borough. In 1966 the city was granted the right to appoint a lord mayor . The local authority is Westminster City Council, which meets at Westminster Council House (also known as Marylebone Town Hall ) and has its main offices at Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street. Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the West Central constituency. The following table shows
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