For years I saw the Wellington Arch from the top deck of a bus and never knew that you could actually go inside. Open all year round, with magnificent views from the top. You can even see into the King’s back garden at Buckingham Palace.
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Inside the Wellington Arch
Step inside the Wellington Arch and you will be greeted by possibly the smiliest staff on any ticket desk in London. Not only are they smiley, they are also extremely knowledgeable, so be sure to ask any questions that you have. Once you have paid for your ticket you have a choice of lift or stairs. My recommendation is to take a lift up to the third floor, head up to the top two floors and that view and then down through the museum part of the arch. For that reason I am starting at the top and working down!
Why is Wellington not on top of the Wellington Arch?
Good question. After all Nelson has a column and square named after his most famous battle. Sure Wellington was due the same. He did briefly adorn the arch but nobody liked the giant sculpture of the Iron Duke on horseback. It was widely ridiculed. Even Queen Victoria thought that it should go. But the Duke threatened to resign all his public offices if it was taken down and so it remained in situ until the arch itself was dismantled and moved in 1846. If you want to see Wellington on his horse, the sculpture now lives in Aldershot and can be seen in the Wellesley Woods.
Art Gallery at the Wellington Arch
Yes the top two floors of the Wellington Arch are an art gallery. Vigo Gallery, also found in St James’, uses the space as a space to show art. When I last visited it was Leonard Hurzlmeier: Edenism
History of the Wellington Arch
Next floor down is a comprehensive history of the arch. It started life as part of a plan for a grand entrance into ceremonial London. All sorts of grand plans were submitted and never built. Decimus Burton came up with the final design. When it was first built it was in a slightly different location and flanked by fancy railings. By 1870 large traffic jams were building up around the arch and so it was dismantled and moved. The southern arch became home to a park keeper and the northern arch was London’s smallest police station. In the 1960s it was all change again. The roundabout and underpass that we see today were built. The northern arch became a ventilation shaft for the underpass. The southern side remained unused until it was opened to the public in 2001.
What is on top of the Wellington Arch?
You need to head down another floor to find out what is on top of the Wellington Arch. It is a chariot pulled by four horses or a Quadriga? Why? Well mainly because the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) quite liked a sculpture that he saw at the Royal Academy. In 1891 Adrian Jones exhibited a smaller plaster version of the Quadriga called Triumph. The Prince of Wales was so taken with it that a larger bronze version was made and took its place on top of the Wellington Arch in 1912.
Wellington Arch as a war memorial?
Down another floor where you discover that the whole of the Wellington Arch is a war memorial. In remembrance of the 49,076 members of the Royal Regiment of Artillery who lost their lives in World War One. This floor tells the story of the regiment during the War and has some artefacts recently excavated in Flanders.
Best time to visit the Wellington Arch to see the Household Cavalry
Seven days a week the Household Cavalry ride under Wellington Arch on their way to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Then they head home. They leave the Knightsbridge Barracks at 10.28am sharp every day from Monday to Saturday. That means that if you are between Buckingham Palace and the Arch you will be in prime position to see all the King’s Horses and all the King’s men. They make the return journey after the Changing of the Guard is finished at 11.30. So you could see the horses on the way out and then be on top of the arch to see them return.
Visiting the Wellington Arch
- Apsley Way, Hyde Park Corner, W1J 7JZ
- Open: Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm
- Admission: Adult £8 this varies according the time of year and is always 15% cheaper if you book online
- English Heritage members free
Once you have been inside the Wellington Arch how exploring Apsley House. Right next door and where the Duke of Wellington lived.
