Hyde Park Corner: A LONDON Landmark Where History & Modernity Collide

Hyde Park Corner: A LONDON Landmark Where History & Modernity Collide

The Royal Artillery Memorial is a First World War memorial located on Hyde Park Corner in London, England. Designed by Charles Sargeant Jagger, with architectural work by Lionel Pearson, and unveiled in 1925 the memorial commemorates the 49,076 soldiers from the Royal Artillery killed in the First World War. The statue portrays the Iron Duke on a campaign, mounted on his horse Copenhagen, with all hooves planted on the ground. It was executed in bronze by the sculptor Joseph Boehm and unveiled in 1888. The figures at the corners of the pedestal representative British soldiers, a Grenadier, a Scottish Highlander, an Irish Dragoon and a Welsh Fusilier. Wellington has a telescope in his right hand. Apsley House is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington. It is a Grade I listed building. Designed by Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, the house was built for Lord Apsley in the 1770s. It was purchased by Richard Wellesley, in 1807, and passed to his younger brother Arthur, the 1st duke, in 1817. The Wellington Arch, also known as the Constitution Arch or originally as the Green Park Arch The arch has a single wide arched opening, flanked by massive piers. To front and back, the central opening is flanked by pairs of Corinthian columns, standing well forward, and there are Corinthian pilasters at the corners and on the side elevations. The elaborate cast-iron gates and the quadriga provide richness of detail as well as variety of colour. The massive gates, designed by Burton and a masterpiece of early 19th-century iron founding, are covered with dense garland ornament, framing great circular panels which carry the royal arms. A giant winged female figure bearing a laurel wreath descends on a great chariot, which is drawn by four rearing horses and driven by a young boy who sits on a small seat at the front of the chariot body, apparently unaware of Peace descending behind him. This classical stone gateway with its scroll-topped columns was designed by Decimus Burton, then just 25 years old. It was made from Portland stone and built in 1826-29. The friezes by John Henning were copied from the Elgin Marbles that were originally on the Parthenon in Athens. Just inside the gates, the classical-style lodge house was also built by Decimus Burton. It has three bays in a Greek portico style and a turret clock by Thwaites and Reeds. The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit within the British Army, known for its mounted nature and use of horses for ceremonial duties. These highly decorated gates were installed to commemorate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The central screen, designed by David Wynne, unites two national symbols: the lion of England with the unicorn of Scotland. The Queen Elizabeth gates are made from stainless steel and designed by Giuseppe Lund. They were funded by public subscription and unveiled by the Queen in 1993. The Rose Garden opened in 1994 and was designed by Colvin and Moggridge Landscape Architects. The design was developed from the concept of horns sounding one’s arrival into Hyde Park from Hyde Park Corner. The marble Boy and Dolphin fountain was made in 1862 by Alexander Munro, a friend of the Alice in Wonderland author, Lewis Carroll. It originally stood in a Victorian sunken garden that was demolished when Park Lane was widened – which is now the site of the Joy of Life fountain. features a bronze figure of Diana, the goddess of hunting, shooting an arrow. The fountain was installed in 1906 and made by Countess Feodora Gleichen, the first woman member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. It was donated by Sir Walter and Lady Palmer. The best time to see the roses is early summer, although they continue to flower through to the first frosts. The flower beds are planted twice a year with spring and summer displays, but regardless of the time of year you visit, there will always be something to see. The 18ft statue of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War commemorates the soldier and politician, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). It was installed by order of King George III and unveiled on 18 June 1822. Located near the Queen Elizabeth Gate at Hyde Park Corner, the statue of Achilles was the first statue installed in Hyde Park It was commissioned by a patriotic, upper class society, known as Ladies of England. The statue was made by Sir Richard Westmacott using 33 tonnes of bronze from cannons captured in Wellington’s campaigns in France. The bandstand in Hyde Park is one of the oldest in Britain. It was built in 1869 and originally stood in Kensington Gardens, but moved to Hyde Park in 1886. The Cavalry memorial is a bronze sculpture, which represents St George on horseback stepping over a defeated dragon, with a frieze of galloping horsemen around the base. The memorial commemorates members of the Cavalry Regiments killed during the First World War. Designed by Adrian Jones, an army vet, the sculpture contains bronze which came from guns captured during World War 1. The base was designed by Sir John Burnet. The Cavalry memorial also contains a bronze plaque which lists the cavalry of the Empire. The text has been updated to include later conflicts. It is a permanent memorial to honour the victims of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. The 7 July Memorial was unveiled in Hyde Park by Their Majesties The King and Queen (The then Prince of Wales and The then Duchess of Cornwall), in a ceremony attended by senior political figures and the families of the 52 killed, on the fourth anniversary of the disaster, Tuesday 7 July 2009. The memorial comprises 52 stainless steel pillars (stelae), collectively representing each of the 52 victims, grouped together in four inter-linking clusters reflecting the four locations of the incidents. Patrick Gwynne’s iconic building on the eastern edge of the Serpentine in Hyde Park houses the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen. Inspired by English country living the restaurant aims to be a retreat for both Londoners and visitors alike. The Serpentine Lake was created in 1730 at the behest of Queen Caroline. Originally fed by the River Westbourne and Tyburn Brook in the 1730s, the lake’s water was then pumped from the Thames in the 1830s. The water is now pumped from three boreholes within Hyde Park, the most recent being installed in May 2012 as part of the 2011–2012 restoration of the lake. The Queen Caroline memorial is a stone urn mounted on a plinth overlooking the east end of the Serpentine. This memorial is to Queen Caroline, the wife of King George II, who from 1726-1730 created the Serpentine in Hyde Park and the Long Water in Kensington Gardens. The lake follows the shape of the valley of the Westbourne Stream, which now flows underground. The sculpture is inspired by the Egyptian goddess of nature. It was designed by British sculptor Simon Gudgeon and was installed in the park in 2009. Serenity was donated by Halcyon Gallery and the sculpture’s creator Simon Gudgeon to help raise funds for the Hyde Park Learning Centre. At the base of the sculpture you can see 1,000 plaques dedicated to supporters of the appeal. The Serpentine Lido is, arguably, London’s most iconic ‘open water’ swimming location. Alongside the Serpentine Lido is the Lido Cafe Bar which has waterside tables and is the ideal place to enjoy a snack, meal or a glass of wine. The Serpentine Swimming Club is the oldest swimming club in Britain. is a memorial to the casualties of the Machine Gun Corps in the First World War. It is a memorial to the war dead of New Zealand in the First and Second World Wars, unveiled in 2006. The Joy of Life fountain depicts two bronze figures holding hands while appearing to dance above the water, with four bronze children emerging from the pool.

Join me for a walking tour around the historial Hyde Park Corner. Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to a major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was originally planned by architect Decimus Burton. The junction includes a broad green-space roundabout in its centre, which is now the setting for Burton’s triumphal Wellington Arch.

Six streets converge at the junction: Park Lane (from the north), Piccadilly (northeast), Constitution Hill (southeast), Grosvenor Place (south), Grosvenor Crescent (southwest) and Knightsbridge (west). Hyde Park Corner tube station served by the Piccadilly line has many accessways around the junction as do its notable monuments. Immediately to the north of the junction is Burton’s Ionic Screen gateway entrance to Hyde Park, and Apsley House museum, the 18th century townhouse of the 1st Duke of Wellington, hero of Waterloo.

The 7 July Memorial it is a permanent memorial to honour the victims of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. The memorial comprises 52 stainless steel pillars (stelae), collectively representing each of the 52 victims, grouped together in four inter-linking clusters reflecting the four locations of the incidents.

Achilles statue : The 18ft statue of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, commemorates the soldier and politician, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). It was installed by order of King George III and unveiled on 18 June 1822.

Apsley Gate : This classical stone gateway with its scroll-topped columns was designed by Decimus Burton, then just 25 years old. It was made from Portland stone and built in 1826-29.

Boy & Dolphin fountain: The marble Boy and Dolphin fountain was made in 1862 by Alexander Munro, a friend of the Alice in Wonderland author, Lewis Carroll. The fountain is located in Hyde Park’s Rose Garden.

The Cavalry memorial is a bronze sculpture, which represents St George on horseback stepping over a defeated dragon, with a frieze of galloping horsemen around the base. The memorial commemorates members of the Cavalry Regiments killed during the First World War.

The Huntress fountain, located in the Rose Garden, features a bronze figure of Diana, the goddess of hunting, shooting an arrow.

The bandstand in Hyde Park is one of the oldest in Britain. It was built in 1869 and originally stood in Kensington Gardens, but moved to Hyde Park in 1886. The octagonal roof gives it particularly good acoustics.

The Joy of Life fountain depicts two bronze figures holding hands while appearing to dance above the water, with four bronze children emerging from the pool.

The Queen Caroline memorial is a stone urn mounted on a plinth overlooking the east end of the Serpentine.

This memorial is to Queen Caroline, the wife of King George II, who from 1726-1730 created the Serpentine in Hyde Park and the Long Water in Kensington Gardens. The lake follows the shape of the valley of the Westbourne Stream, which now flows underground.

Queen Elizabeth Gate : These highly decorated gates were installed to commemorate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The central screen, designed by David Wynne, unites two national symbols: the lion of England with the unicorn of Scotland.

Serenity is a striking bronze sculpture located on the south side of the Serpentine, near the Diana Memorial Fountain.

The sculpture is inspired by the Egyptian goddess of nature. It was designed by British sculptor Simon Gudgeon and was installed in the park in 2009.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org, https://www.royalparks.org.uk ,www.english-heritage.org.uk

More of London?. Watch more videos!

London Walking Tour

Royal Parks

British Heritage

#london
#hydepark
#londontourism
#londontours
#thingstodoinlondon
#londonwalk
#touristplace
#touristspot
#londonwalkingtour
#touristplace
#placestogo
#londoncitywalk
#londoncitywalkingtour
#waytowonderfulworld
#伦敦
#ロンドン
#ウォーキングツアー
#워킹투어
#런던