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Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner

This was designed by Decimus Burton as a grand entrance to Green Park and was constructed 1826-8 but without the statue he had planned. In 1838 some members of the Wellington Memorial Committee persuaded the Prime Minster to sanction the siting of a statue on top of the arch which stood opposite Wellington's Apsley House. The appointed sculptor Matthew Cotes Wyatt made a 28' high equestrian statue which many regarded as disproportionate to the arch. However the 40 ton figure, which took 5 years to make, was put up in 1846 to much criticism. The problem was only resolved in 1883 when the arch was moved to its present site for a road widening scheme and the statue was sent to Aldershot. In 1892 the Prince of Wales saw the Quadriga at the Royal Academy and after a donor was found the piece was commissioned from Captain Adrian Jones (1845-1938) who had served as a cavalry vet for 23 years. The bronze was completed in 1912. The Wellington Arch was isolated on an island by a traffic scheme in the 1960s. In 1999 it came under the care of English Heritage who carried out major repairs and opened it to the public in 2000. It houses displays and has viewing galleries. A replacement statue of the Duke was made by J E Boehm in 1888. The bronze equestrian figure stands on a granite plinth with figures of soldiers at each corner.