Set in the heart of Royal London at Hyde Park Corner, Wellington Arch was originally conceived by King George IV to commemorate Britain’s victories in the Napoleonic Wars. Designed by Decimus Burton and completed in 1828, Wellington Arch was intended to form part of a grand ceremonial route towards Buckingham Palace, however, its original location caused traffic jams on Hyde Park Corner. In 1882, the Arch was dismantled and re-erected at its present site, looking down Constitution Hill. The original statue at the top of the Arch also caused controversy. In 1846 the arch was crowned with a statue of the 1st Duke of Wellington, but it was removed and replaced in 1912 with the Quadriga statue depicting the angel of peace descending on the chariot of war. Today, visitors can access three floors of exhibits within the Arch and see fantastic panoramas over London from the balconies below the grand bronze sculpture.
- Wellington Arch
- Apsley Way, Hyde Park Corner, London W1J 7JZ
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
- Underground: Hyde Park Corner