London Dog Walking - Hyde Park Corner, Wellington Arch

Hyde Park Corner with the Wellington Arch links Hyde Park to Green Park. Originally conceived by King George IV to celebrate the Napoleonic Wars Victory, with Marble Arch. It is also known as the Constitutional Arch and previously as Green Park Arch.

Because there was a turn pike here and the way it led into central London, London was seen to start at this point. This is reflected in the nickname given to Apsley House, to the north of the Arch as "No1 London".

Originally the Arch was facing Apsley House, at right angles to where it is today, as part of a great ceremonial route entrance to Buckingham Palace. It was moved in 1882 as part of a road widening project.

The moulding of the lion and the unicorn is particularly beautiful.

The Arch is infact hollow and one half was the home until 1992 to the second smallest police station in London, the smallest being in Trafalgar Square.

The other half is infact a ventillation shaft for the London underground, sometimes you can see the hot air and dust rising.

On the top of the arch originally was a huge equestian statue of the Duke of Wellington, it was moved and replaced in 1912 by a huge bronze quadriga designed by Adrian Jones. The statue is the largest bronze sculpture in Europe.











A smaller statue of the Duke on a horse is placed just to the North of the Arch.









Sir Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington was a famous solider who became Prime Minister, lived in Apsley House, which is now the Wellington Museum and Art Gallery. Though the current 8th Duke of Wellington used part of the house for his personal use, which was granted by an act of parliament, when the house was givne to the nation. Whilst there is a Duke of Wellington, they can stay in about half the house.

The house was originally built in the 1770s in red brick by the famous Robert Adam for Lord Apsley the Lord Chancellor. The Duke of Wellington made it grander through extending it and cladding it in Bath stone.

The Pekinese dog breed is associated to the Wellingtons. Lord John Hay gave a pair, later called ‘Schloff’, and ‘Hytien’ to his sister, the Duchess of Wellington, wife of Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington and Lieutenant Dunne presented a Pekingese to Queen Victoria who named it Looty.







There is a monument to the Regiment of Artillery in the First World War on the West Side of the Arch.







To the North East of the Arch is a modern memorial to the New Zealand Forces. It is made up of 16 bronze crosses each wighing up to 700Kgs and 4.5 metres high, facing South. 6 of them make the shape of the "Southern Cross". They have LEDs on the top. Look up close and they have text and an image representing New Zealand. Very different and open from the Australian memorial on the South side of Hyde Park Corner.