Wellington Arch
Encyclopedia
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
located to the south of Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and at the north western corner of Green Park
Green Park
-External links:*...
(although it is now isolated on a traffic island). The arch, and Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
to the north of Hyde Park, were both planned in 1825 by George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
to commemorate Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The Wellington Arch was also conceived as an outer gateway to Constitution Hill and therefore a grand entrance into central London from the west. The presence of a turnpike gate at this point had led, in the 18th century, to a strong perception that this was the beginning of London (reflected in the nickname for Apsley House
Apsley House
Apsley House, also known as Number One, London, is the former London residence of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing south towards the busy traffic interchange and Wellington Arch...
as "No 1, London") and the arch was intended to reflect the importance of the position.
The Wellington Arch was built between 1826-1830 to a design by Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton was a prolific English architect and garden designer, He is particularly associated with projects in the classical style in London parks, including buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of Fleetwood and...
. Much of the intended exterior ornamentation was omitted as a cost-saving exercise after the King's overspending on the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, which was underway at the same time. The arch originally stood almost directly opposite Apsley House
Apsley House
Apsley House, also known as Number One, London, is the former London residence of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing south towards the busy traffic interchange and Wellington Arch...
, a short distance from, and at a right-angles to, its present location. It faced the screen, also designed by Decimus Burton, and still in its original location, which forms the Hyde Park Corner entrance to Hyde Park. It was intended to form part of a grand ceremonial route towards Buckingham Palace.
In 1846 the arch was selected as a location for a statue of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, soldier and Prime Minister. The Wellington Statue
Wellington Statue, Aldershot
The Wellington Statue in Aldershot is a monument to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington victor at the Battle of Waterloo and later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom...
by Matthew Cotes Wyatt
Matthew Cotes Wyatt
Matthew Cotes Wyatt was a painter and sculptor and a member of the Wyatt family, who were well-known in the Victorian era as architects and sculptors.-Early life:...
which eventually crowned the arch was 8.5m high, the largest equestrian figure ever made. It was so enormous that it generated considerable controversy and ridicule at the time. Motions were put in place to move it to a different location but as this could be seen as insulting to the Duke of Wellington it was left in place on the orders of the Queen and remained there throughout the remainder of the Iron Duke's lifetime.
In 1882-3, the arch was moved a short distance to its present location on Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
to facilitate a road widening scheme. In the new location it lost its original relationship to the entrance of Hyde Park, but it acquired a new position as the entrance to Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill, London
Constitution Hill is a road in the City of Westminster in London. It connects the western end of The Mall with Hyde Park Corner, and is bordered by Buckingham Palace Gardens and Green Park. The term "Hill" is something of a misnomer; there is barely detectable slope but most observers would...
. It is today in the centre of a large traffic island which has been claimed from what was the western tip of Green Park
Green Park
-External links:*...
.
The Wellington Statue was removed to Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
at the same time and was eventually replaced, in 1912, by a huge bronze quadriga
Quadriga
A quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast . It was raced in the Ancient Olympic Games and other contests. It is represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing...
designed by Adrian Jones
Adrian Jones
Adrian Jones was an English sculptor and painter who specialized in animals, particularly horses. He was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, attending the grammar school there, and initially studied at the Royal Veterinary College; he subsequently joined the army as a veterinary officer, attaining the...
. It is based on a smaller original which caught the eye of Edward VII at a Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
exhibition. The sculpture depicts the angel of peace descending on the chariot of war. The face of the charioteer leading the quadriga is that of a small boy (actually the son of Lord Michelham
Herbert Stern, 1st Baron Michelham
Herbert Stern, 1st Baron Michelham , known as Sir Herbert Stern, Bt, between July and December 1905, was a British financier and philanthropist.-Background:...
, the man who funded the sculpture). The angel of peace was modelled on Beatrice Stewart. The statue is the largest bronze sculpture in Europe.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
). Transferred to the ownership of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in 1999, it is open to the public and contains three floors of exhibits detailing the history of the arch and some of its uses. Visitors can also step onto terraces on both sides of the top of the arch, which give very good views of Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park, the junction of Park Lane and Piccadilly, Green Park, Constitution Hill and even glimpses of the private gardens of Buckingham Palace.
One half of the arch is actually a ventilation shaft for the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network. This causes on average three emergency calls each year to the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
from people believing there to be smoke coming from the arch when in fact it is warm air and dust from the underground network.