Turfalgar Square - The heart of London becomes a green oasis

But this remarkable scene would surely have had Nelson rubbing his eye in disbelief.

For Trafalgar Square was carpeted with more than 2,000 square yards of turf in place of the usual grey paving slabs.

The luscious grass made the square look like a village green.

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Crowds flock to the lawn

Nelson may have turned a blind eye to the makeover - as he allegedly did at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He disobeyed orders to disengage the enemy, often quoted as saying "I see no ships" but he actually remarked "I really do not see the signal".

The 40 tonnes of turf were laid in metre-wide strips 20 metres long and watered with a fire hose.

And while there was no livestock grazing, there were plenty of tourists milling about, sunbathing and even playing impromptu games of football-near the foot of Nelson's Column.

Gardeners had worked through the night to carpet the square. The stunt was part of a campaign by tourist chiefs to promote the capital's green spaces. The grass will remain for two days before being moved to another site in London.

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Three girls lap up the rays in Trafalgar Square

The stunt is part of a new tourism campaign to promote the city's "villages" - from urban Marylebone to suburban Wimbledon and from Primrose Hill to Blackheath.

Visit London's Ken Kelling said: "Hopefully people coming down specifically to see it and those who are just passing by will be able to enjoy it in the sunshine today.

"Once they have enjoyed something unusual like this they could go on to explore other green areas across the capital."

How the lawn was laid on Trafalgar Square

The turf will be transferred to Bishops Park in Fulham and planted beneath a row of plane trees close to the Thames.

Passers-by appeared bemused by the new view of the square. John Merry, 44, of Dartford, an IT manager for an investment bank, wanted the grass to stay for the whole summer.

Catering company worker, Agnes Stefanek, 35, of Pimlico, said: "I can't wait to grab some lunch and sit on it."