| Admiralty Arch (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Admiralty Arch
Photographer Description of Admiralty Arch
This panorama in London was taken early in the morning on the Trafalgar Square side of Admiralty Arch. In the picture the morning sun lights up the northern part of the Arch, beyond which you can see The Mall. In the other direction you can see Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. The spire in the distance belongs to St. Martins in the Fields Church, while the columned building to the left of Nelson's Column is the front of the National Gallery. The roads here are normally insanely busy, except for this early in the morning. Even so, it is unusual to have so few cars around.Admiralty Arch - Further Information
Admiralty Arch in London forms a gateway from Trafalgar Square to The Mall, the processional road running along St. James Park and linking Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. There is always a lot of traffic passing through Admiralty Arch, except on Sundays when traffic is not permitted down The Mall between Horseguards and Buckingham Palace. There is no connection between Admiralty Arch and the Navy, but the Arch stands next to the Royal Navy HQ located in the Old Admiralty Building. The name continues the naval theme of Trafalgar Square and is overlooked by Nelson's Column.Admiralty Arch was commissioned by King Edward VII in 1910 in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, and designed by Sir Aston Webb (also worked on Buckingham Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum) The Mall was also widened at the same time. Edward did not live to see the project completed.
Admiralty Arch has 5 arches and is faced with Portland Stone. Just above the arches is an inscription which reads: ANNO DECIMO EDWARDI SEPTIMI REGIS VICTORIĘ REGINĘ CIVES GRATISSIMI MDCCCCX (translates to : "In the tenth year of the reign of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria from a grateful nation, 1910"). The 2 smaller outer arches are for pedestrians only, and the central large arch is only ever used for processional purposes. Admiralty Arch contains the largest processional arch between Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral.
Both Admiralty Arch and Nelsons Column in Trafalgar Square have been targeted by Greenpeace during environmental protests. In July 2006 Greenpeace scaled Admiralty Arch and unfurled banners accusing the British Government of using unsustainable rain forest timber during renovation of the Cabinet Offices within. This closed the Mall to traffic for a couple of hours and then ended peacefully, but not before the press had taken up the story.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Tube: Charring Cross (Bakerloo line, Northern Line), Leicester Square (Northern Line, Piccadilly Line)