Marble Arch

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Marble Arch as it is now, standing near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, at the western end of Oxford Street in London.

Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, at the western end of Oxford Street in London, England.

The arch was designed by John Nash in 1828, based on the triumphal arch of Constantine in Rome. It was originally erected on The Mall as a gateway to the new Buckingham Palace (rebuilt by Nash from the former Buckingham House), but was found to be too narrow for the state coach, and was moved in 1851 to its present location. It may soon be moved again [link].

There are three small rooms inside that were used as a police station until 1950.

Some sculptures intended for the arch ended up on the façade of the National Gallery due to Nash's financial problems. In particular are those high up on the east façade, opposite the Edith Cavell memorial (Britannia) and above the old main entrance under the portico. These last two were originally intended to represent the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington, these sculptures include reclining personfications of Europe and Asia/India, with a blank roundel in between. Had the arch been completed as planned, the Duke of Wellington's face would have been depicted in the roundel. Image:National Gallery Marble Arch sculptures 001.jpg|Europe Image:National Gallery Marble Arch sculptures 002.jpg|Asia/India Image:Britannia, National Gallery.jpg|Britannia, now Minerva, patroness of the arts

The arch stands close to the site of the Tyburn gallows (sometimes called 'Tyburn Tree'), a place of public execution from 1388 until 1793.

The area once was home to the largest cinema screen in London, the Odeon Marble Arch. Originally 60 feet wide, the Odeon showcased 70 mm films. The cinema was converted into a mini-plex in the mid 1990s.

The only traffic allowed to pass through the arch is members of the royal family and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.

The nearest London Underground station is Marble Arch, on the Central Line.

Find Marble Arch on WikiMapia at http://wikimapia.org/#y=51513009&x=-158856&z=17&l=0&m=h

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