2024
SJ8498 : The Duke of Wellington
taken 1 year ago, near to Manchester, England
This is 1 of 2 images, with title The Duke of Wellington in this square

The Duke of Wellington
The Grade II listed Link
The thirteen-foot larger than life statue of the Duke of Wellington shows him in later life dressed in a frock-coat with military decorations as though speaking in the House of Lords with his military dispatches at his feet. Below him at each corner of the square granite pedestal are four bronze figures, Mars, Minerva, Victory and Peace, representing his attributes, and below and between these are four bronze relief panels showing the high points of his career.
The inauguration of the monument on 30 August 1856 attracted as many as 100,000 spectators and was widely reported. The commentator in the Gentleman's Magazine described how "[t]he mayor having, on behalf of the corporation, accepted the statue, commanded it to be unveiled, which was done amid loud cheering, the band playing the national anthem, and the fountains beginning to play simultaneously" According to a contemporary source, the bronze used in the monument weighed 10 tons, while the granite for the pedestal weighed 100 tons, so it really is "colossal."
For more information see The Victorian Web: Link
Since 2003 the statue has been dominated by the building known as "One Piccadilly Gardens" Link
People often congregate around the statue or sit on the steps. Parked nearby is a police van.
