Wellington Arch

In 1825, King George IV ordered the construction of a triumphal arch to commemorate Britain's victory in the Napoleonic Wars. It was also intended to serve as a grand entrance to central London from the west. The construction of Wellington Arch was completed in 1830. In 1846, a large equestrian statue of Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was placed on its top. In 1883, the arch was moved to its current location at the corner of Hyde Park. In 1912, the Wellington statue was replaced with a bronze composition depicting an angel of peace on a chariot.

Until 1992, Wellington Arch housed a small police station, one of the two smallest police stations in the city, the other being located on the premises of Trafalgar Square.

Since 1999, the Arch has been owned by the English Heritage Society and is always open to visitors.

Externally, Wellington Arch resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but is much less pompous. It is designed in a Roman style. According to the architect Decimus Burton's plan, its upper platform was to host statues of horses and several other sculptures. However, due to the figure of the Duke of Wellington, the arch ultimately served as a conventional pedestal.

Wellington Arch has a single span and is adorned with Corinthian columns. Until 1992, its inner chambers housed a police station. In 1999, the arch was transferred to the English Heritage organization. It is currently accessible to tourists. Visitors can climb the open terraces on both sides of the arch's upper part, offering magnificent panoramas of Hyde Park, The Green Park, the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and other attractions. The arch houses a museum dedicated to its history.

One half of the arch currently serves as a ventilation shaft for the London Underground. As a result, the London Fire Brigade receives an average of three reports a year about smoke coming from the arch, which is actually warm air with dust from the subway being expelled.