The Trafalgar Way - WC2
News of the Battle of Trafalgar
November 1805.
Inscription reads:
The Trafalgar Way at Canada House
The first official despatches with news of the victory, and the death in action of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, were carried to England on board H.M. Schooner Pickle by her captain, Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere.
Lapenotiere landed at Falmouth on Monday 4th November 1805 and set out by post chaise for London, covering the 271 miles in 37 hours. He drove past this point shortly before one in the morning of Wednesday 6th and turned down Whitehall to reach the Admiralty where he delivered the despatches to the Secretary to the Board with the words "Sir, we have won a great victory, but we have lost Lord Nelson."
The route which Lapenotiere followed from Falmouth to London is now known as the the Trafalgar Way: it is marked by bronze plaques at the 21 stages where he is known to have changed horses, and at a number of intermediate points.
Unveiled by His Excellency Gordon Campbell, OBC, High Commissioner for Canada, on 6 November 2012 to honour the men from territories that became constituted in the Dominion of Canada who fought in the British fleet at Trafalgar.
