Marble Arch, Triumphal arch in Westminster, United Kingdom
Marble Arch is a neoclassical monument built from white Carrara marble in the western center of London, near Hyde Park. Three passageways structure the freestanding monument, whose surface is decorated with relief carvings and Corinthian columns.
John Nash designed the structure in 1828 as a ceremonial entrance to Buckingham Palace, but it proved too narrow for the state coach. The government relocated the arch to its present site in 1851 when the palace was enlarged.
The name refers to the Carrara marble used to build the arches, and the structure now marks a busy junction at the western edge of the West End. Pedestrians cross the roads surrounding the monument, while traffic flows in several lanes around it.
The junction connects Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, with the Underground station Marble Arch located directly beside it. Pedestrian crossings lead to all sides of the monument, though traffic is often heavy.
A statue of George IV was meant to crown the top but was never installed. Only members of the royal family and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery may pass through the central arch on horseback.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
