A warrior and an angel of peace
A great deal was expected of the triumphal arch that was erected near the south-east corner of Hyde Park in 1827. It was intended to celebrate victory over Napoleon, to constitute the western gateway to London, and to mark a processional way to Buckingham Palace. The architect Decimus Burton produced correspondingly grand designs, but a costly palace extension for free-spending King George IV meant that the arch had to be simplified. Most of the sculptural decoration was omitted.
The arch stood on the south side of Piccadilly opposite the London residence of the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. In his honour, the largest equestrian statue ever made was placed on the new triumphal arch. Many commentators held this 8.5-metre-high colossus to be ridiculous, but it had to stay: the statue of the Duke stood practically on the doorstep of the man whom it represented, and to remove it would have been an insult.
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Address Hyde Park Corner, W1J 7JZ | Public Transport Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly Line) | Hours Mon–Sun April–Sept 10am–6pm, Oct until 5pm, Nov–March until 4pm| Tip Ye Grapes (16 Shepherd Market, Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm) is a cosy Victorian pub in an attractive corner of Mayfair.
When Piccadilly was widened in 1883, the arch was moved a few yards. This was the opportunity to take down the statue, as Wellington was no longer alive, but 30 years were to pass before the quadriga that now crowns the arch was completed. Its sculptor, Adrian Jones, created four high-spirited horses and a chariot onto which descends an angel of peace bearing an olive branch and laurel wreath. This dramatic work is the largest bronze sculpture in Europe.
Until the 1950s, Wellington Arch was London’s smallest police station. Today its south half is used to ventilate the pedestrian subway under the surrounding roads. The other side of the arch houses an exhibition, including a photograph of Adrian Jones taking afternoon tea in the belly of one of the horses. The view from the roof across Hyde Park and down Constitution Hill to Buckingham Palace is best in winter, when the trees have lost their leaves.
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