Wellington Arch

A monument with a bit of an identity crisis!

The victory arch on Hyde Park Corner was designed by 25 year old Decimus Burton and completed in 1828 as a celebration of the defeat of Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington. It was then topped in 1846 with the enormous statue of the Duke on his horse at Waterloo.  This bronze was completely out of proportion and the subject of public ridicule, it was even featured in a cartoon in the magazine Punch.

Hyde Park Corner even suffered traffic congestion in 1882, it was so bad that a decision was taken to dismantle the arch and rebuild it in a different position to allow for a much wider road. This was a perfect opportunity to remove the over-sized statue which was taken to Aldershot, the home of the Army.

This looks like the bus is taking a sneaky short cut through the arch!

A new statue entitled The Angel of Peace descending on the Chariot of War was presented to the nation by Lord Michelham in memory of his friend Edward VII and ironically it was erected in 1914, just at the time of the start of the First World War.  The sculpture is the largest bronze statue in the UK, so big that the designer Adrian Jones held a dinner for eight of his friends inside just before its completion.

Over time, names have varied from the Wellington Arch to Green Park Arch and Constitution Arch.  Until 1992 it housed the second smallest police station in London, but now it is overseen by English Heritage and is currently closed for refurbishment.  When it reopens in May 2012 it will be possible to hold events in this central landmark with stunning views across to Buckingham Palace Gardens, the Royal Parks and down to Westminster. There will be public access to the balconies and regularly changing exhibitions, and you can even get married here in the middle of Hyde Park Corner!