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 Duke of York Column - Waterloo Place, London, UK
N 51° 30.379 W 000° 07.905
30U E 699046 N 5710032
The Duke of York column stands on the north side of The Mall at the top of the Duke of York steps. The Duke of York Column is a monument to Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the second eldest son of King George III.
Waymark Code: WMPMHN
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/21/2015
Views: 9
The column, carved from granite, has a square base and the capital carries a square platform with a statue of the Duke of York mounted upon it.
The column is Grade I listed and the entry at English Heritage (visit link) reads:
Duke of York column and steps G.V. I Commemorative column and town planning focal point with steps down to the Mall and St James's Park. 1831-34, the column designed by Benjamin Wyatt, the bronze statue of the Duke by Sir Richard Westmacott, the layout with the great flight of steps as the terminal feature of Nash's Via Triumphalis, on the site of Carlton House, with the palatial Carlton House Terrace (q.v.) ranges flanking the composition. Granite column and steps, bronze statue. The giant column is of the Tuscan order and rises from a square pedestal; the capital carries a square balcony, drum and dome (on the model of Wren's Monument) surmounted by statue of the Duke in uniform.
Wikipedia (visit link) describes the column thus:
The column is of the Tuscan order. It is built of granite from Aberdeenshire; a light grey variety was used for the pedestal, a bluer grey type for the base of the shaft, and red Peterhead granite for the rest of the structure. There is an iron railing around the abacus of the capital. At the centre of the capital, on a plinth, is a bronze statue of the duke dressed in the robes of the Knights of the Garter, by Sir Richard Westmacott. It is 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) tall, weighs 16,840 pounds (7,640 kg) and was raised on 8 April 1834.
The total height of the monument to the top of the statue is 137 ft 9 in (41.99 m). The statue is faces southeast, towards the The Mall and St. James's Park.
Inside the hollow column a spiral staircase of 168 steps, lit by apertures in the outside wall, leads to the viewing platform around the base of the statue. This means of ascent has been closed to the public for many decades.
The great height of the column caused wits to suggest that the Duke was trying to escape his creditors, as the Duke died £2 million in debt.
The Plunge London website (visit link) tells us:
Built between 1830 and 1833, this column is a monument to Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the second eldest son of King George III. The Duke of York was the commander-in-chief of the British Army during the French Revolutionary Wars and is remembered in the children’s nursery rhyme, “The Grand Old Duke of York”.
The £25,000 to build the statue was raised by subscription – each individual in the army was required to contribute a day’s pay. Inside the hollow column a spiral staircase leads to the viewing platform around the base of the statue. Originally open to the public, this means of ascent was closed following a spate of suicides in the 17th Century.
'This is Waterloo-place, surrounded by columned mansions… In front of the stairs is the Duke of York’s column, of which very little can be said, except that it is ninety-four feet high, and some years ago the jumping down from the top and being smashed on the broad stones at its base, was a fashionable mode of committing suicide. It’s a pity that none of the poor wretches ever thought of over throwing and jumping down with the statue of the Duke of York, for it stands ridiculously high, and the impression it makes on that bad eminence is by no means agreeable.'
Visit Instructions:
Please provide another photo of the location. You don't have to be in there shot, but you can. The photo requirement is to discourage any armchair visiting.
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