On this page:
- Achilles or the Wellington Monument
- Boy and Dolphin Fountain
- Cavalry Memorial
- Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Fountain
- Holocaust Memorial
- Joy of Life Fountain
- Norwegian War Memorial
- Queen Caroline Memorial
- Reformers' Tree
- 7/7 Memorial
Achilles or the Wellington Monument
| Name of monument | Achilles or the Wellington Monument | |
| Description | An 18ft bronze statue of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, carrying a sword and shield with his armour beside him. It stands on a plinth of Dartmoor granite. | |
| Location | Near Hyde Park Corner, between the Broad Walk and Lovers' Walk. | |
| History\background | Dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and his victories in the Peninsular War and later stages of the Napoleonic Wars and installed by order of King George III. Modelled on a Roman soldier but the head is said to be based on that of Wellington. | |
| Designer | Richard Westmacott. | |
| Dates | Sculpted 1822. Inaugurated 18th June 1822. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | The cost of £10,000 was donated by British women. The bronze came from cannons captured in military campaigns by the Duke of Wellington at Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse and Waterloo. This was London's first public nude statue since antiquity and despite its fig leaf it was still controversial. The entrance gates to Hyde Park were too low to get it through and a hole had to be knocked in the adjoining wall. |
Boy and Dolphin Fountain
| Name of monument | Boy and Dolphin Fountain | |
| Description | Pre-Raphaelite marble sculpture of a cherub and dolphin on a rock in a basin. | |
| Location | The Rose Garden. | |
| History\background | Once the centrepiece of the Victorian sunken garden that was demolished to make way for widening of Park Lane. Moved to The Regent's Park Broad Walk 1960-1993 and returned to Hyde Park in 1995. | |
| Designer | Alexander Munro. | |
| Dates | 1862. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | The water flows from the nostrils of the dolphin, not the mouth. |
Cavalry Memorial
| Name of monument | Cavalry Memorial | |
| Description | Bronze of St George on horseback stepping over a vanquished dragon with a frieze of galloping horsemen around the base. | |
| Location | North side of Serpentine Road between the Bandstand and Achilles. | |
| History\background | Unveiled by Field Marshal Lord Ypres in memory of members of Cavalry Regiments killed in World War I. An inscription was added to include casualties of World War II. | |
| Designer | Sculpture by Adrian Jones; base by Sir John Burnet. | |
| Dates | 1924. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | Cast from guns captured in World War I. Originally it stood at Stanhope Gate which was altered to accommodate it. Moved to present site in 1961 when Park Lane was widened. Adrian Jones also designed the Peace Quadriga on the Wellington Arch. |
Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Fountain
| Name of monument | Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Fountain | |
| Description | Oval stone ring of moving water, measuring 210m in circumference. | |
| Location | West of the Lido restaurant and swimming pool; east of West Carriage Drive. | |
| History\background | Commemorates the life of Diana Princess of Wales who died in a car crash in 1997.The fountain was the winning design from 10,000 submitted in a competition in 2002. Water flows from the highest point of the fountain in two directions, bubbling along a gentle slope on one side and cascading down the other before meeting in a calm reflecting pool. The water's journey echoes Diana's life, from joy and energy through turbulence to tranquillity. | |
| Designer | Kathryn Gustafson and Neil Porter. | |
| Dates | Unveiled by HM The Queen on 6 July 2004. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | Contains 545 pieces of Cornish granite each shaped by computer-controlled machinery.Contains 545 pieces of Cornish granite each shaped by computer-controlled machinery. |
Holocaust Memorial
| Name of monument | Holocaust Memorial | |
| Description | Two boulders set in raked gravel and surrounded by silver birch trees. | |
| Location | East of The Dell. | |
| History\background | The first public memorial in Britain to victims of the Holocaust. Paid for by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. | |
| Designer | Mark Badger, Richard Seifert and Derek Lovejoy and Partners. | |
| Dates | 1983. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | The largest boulder is inscribed with the words: "For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people". |
Joy of Life Fountain
| Name of monument | Joy of Life Fountain | |
| Description | Two bronze figures holding hands and appearing to dance above the water. Four bronze children emerging from the pool. | |
| Location | Next to Aldford Street North Gate, alongside Park Lane. | |
| History\background | Donated by the Constance Fund to replace the Boy and Dolphin Fountain which stood on this spot before the widening of Park Lane. | |
| Designer | T B Huxley-Jones. | |
| Dates | 1963 | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | Marie Curie Cancer Care planted 60,000 daffodil bulbs around the fountain to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2008. |
Norwegian War Memorial
| Name of monument | Norwegian War Memorial | |
| Description | Boulder of pre-Cambrian granite mounted on three smaller stones. | |
| Location | West of Ranger's Lodge. | |
| History\background | Presented by the Norwegian Navy and merchant fleet as thanks for Britain's support during World War II. | |
| Designer | ||
| Dates | 1978 | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | Inscribed with the words: "You gave us a safe haven in our common struggle for freedom and peace" |
Queen Caroline Memorial
| Name of monument | Queen Caroline Memorial | |
| Description | Stone urn mounted on a plinth. | |
| Location | Overlooking the East end of the Serpentine lake. | |
| History\background | Unveiled by HM The Queen to commemorate the creation of The Serpentine in 1727-1731 by Queen Caroline, the wife of King George II. | |
| Designer | ||
| Dates | 1990 | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | Before creation of The Serpentine, there were six natural ponds in Hyde Park. |
Reformers' Tree
| Name of monument | Reformers' Tree | |
| Description | Circular black and white floor mosaic of a tree, surrounded by a sandstone ring. | |
| Location | South west corner of the Parade Ground. | |
| History\background | Commemorates a tree that burnt down during the Reform League Riots in 1866. The remaining stump became a notice board for political demonstrations. | |
| Designer | Harry Gray and Roz Flint of Colvin and Moggeridge Landscape Architects. | |
| Dates | 2001 | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | In 1977 James Callaghan planted a new oak on the site of the Reformers Tree. |
7/7 Memorial
| Name of monument | 7/7 Memorial | |
| Description | 52 closely spaced stainless steel columns representing each of the people who died in four bombs detonated in London on 7 July 2005. | |
| Location | South east corner, north of Achilles statue and east of Lovers Walk. | |
| History\background | The design was the winning entrant in a memorial competition held in 2007. | |
| Designer | Architects: Carmody Groake; Engineers Arup; landscape architect Colvin & Muggridge; casting by the Sheffield foundry Norton Cast Products. | |
| Dates | Unveiled 7 July 2009 by TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. | |
| Maintenance\care | The Royal Parks. | |
| Interesting facts | The columns are 3.5m (11½ft) tall and each one is unique. They are in four groups, with the number of columns corresponding to the people who died in the four explosions. A stainless steel plaque on a grass bank at the eastern end of the memorial lists the names of all the victims. |
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