London has many famous monuments and statues, all combinations of history, culture and art. You can see most of them in a fast-paced day, if you get organised. Our handy checklist will help you plan your day and see London’s top monuments in the context of who made them, when and why.
Bomber Command Memorial
Located on the way to Hyde Park, this monument, completed in 2012, stands in honour of the 55,573 airmen of Bomber Command who sacrificed their lives during World War II.
The surrounds are peaceful and quiet. You can sit and contemplate – and sign the visitors’ book if you wish.
Location: Green Park
Nearest tube station: Green Park
Monument to the Great Fire of London
Located near the north end of London Bridge, this 62m-high monument commemorates the 1666 Great Fire of London. Architects Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke designed it using Doric and Ancient Roman styles. Climb the 311 steps to the top and be rewarded with panoramic views over the city.
Location: London Bridge
Nearest tube station: London Bridge
Wellington Arch
Also known as the Green Park Arch or Constitution Arch, this triumphal arch is located on the way to Hyde Park from Westminster. In the heart of the royal city, it was originally built as an entrance to Buckingham Palace. Later it became a victory arch commemorating Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon. One of the largest bronze sculptures in Europe, it depicts an angel of peace atop a chariot pulled by four horses.
Location: Central roundabout at Hyde Park Corner
Nearest tube station: Hyde Park Corner
Queen Victoria Memorial
This monument to Queen Victoria, who reigned over the British Empire for more than 60 years, was designed and built by Sir Thomas Brock in 1901 – and further unveiled in 1911 by King George V in honour of the Queen, his mother. Right in front of Buckingham Palace, it’s constructed of 23,000 tonnes of white marble with a golden angel on top. The memorial represents constancy, courage, victory, truth, charity and motherhood.
Location: In front of Buckingham Palace
Nearest tube station: Victoria
Battle of Britain Monument
This sculpture on Victoria Embankment commemorates the British military personnel who participated in the Battle of Britain during World War II. Unveiled on the 65th anniversary of the battle in 2005 by Prince Charles and Camilla, it was conceived by Bill Bond, who negotiated with the City of Westminster to secure the site and appoint the architects. The 82ft long granite structure was initially designed as smoke outlet for underground trains. Paul Day is the sculptor.
Location: Victoria Embankment, opposite end of Richmond Terrace
Nearest tube station: Westminster
Winston Churchill Statue
This statue of former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill stands in Parliament Square. The bronze sculpture was created by Ivor Roberts-Jones and is sited in a position where the great statesman seems to overlook the Houses of Parliament.
Location: Parliament Square
Nearest tube station: Westminster
Statue of Eros
One of the most famous statues in London depicts a winged archer poised with bow. As well as being a handy archer, Eros was also the God of Love.
The statue, standing amid the traffic, is also believed by some to be the Angel of Christian Charity, or Anteros, brother of Eros.
Location: Piccadilly Circus
Nearest tube station: Piccadilly Circus
Statue of Boadicea
Erected in 1902, this bronze sculpture depicts Boudicca (Boadicea) Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe who rebelled against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60. The sculpture is of the queen with her two daughters mounted on a scythed chariot drawn by two rearing horses.
Location: Westminster Bridge
Nearest tube station: Westminster
Albert Memorial
Built by Queen Victoria, this memorial commemorates the death of her husband, Prince Albert, who died of typhoid in 1861. The 180ft memorial, with a golden statue of Prince Albert within, was designed by Sir Gibert Scott in 1872. Built by JH Foley and completed by Thomas Brock in 1875, it stands opposite the Royal Albert Hall in the south of Kensington Gardens.
Location: South Kensington Gardens, opposite Royal Albert Hall
Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge
Nelson’s Column
One of the most iconic sights of London stands at the centre of Trafalgar Square and commemorates Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar against the French in 1805.
The 185ft tall figure was built between 1840 and 1843. In 1860, Sir Edwin Landseer sculpted the four lions made of bronze lying at the base, which represent four victorious battles – Cape St. Vincent (1797), Battle of the Nile (1798), Copenhagen (1801) and Trafalgar (1805).
Location: Trafalgar Square
Nearest tube station: Charing Cross
Cenotaph
Originally built as a temporary structure in wood and plaster for a peace parade at the end of World War I, this war memorial was designed by Edwin Lutyens. It was replaced by a permanent structure in 1920 and designated Britain’s primary national war memorial.
Flanked by the flags of the Royal Army, Air Force and Navy, the Cenotaph is the site of wreath-laying by the Queen and Prime Minister every year during the Remembrance Day parade (on the Sunday closest to November 11).
Location: Whitehall
Nearest tube station: Westminster
Charing Cross
Also known as the Eleanor Cross, this historical monument stands outside Charing Cross station. Built in 1865 by Edward Barry, it commemorates the 12 crosses erected by King Edward I across the country in remembrance of his Queen Eleanor, who died in 1290.
Location: Charing Cross
Nearest tube station: Charing Cross
The Hailing Taxi Statue
Made of bronze by J Seaward Johnson, this is a statue of an office worker, briefcase in hand and coat over his arm, hailing a taxi. Located between the City of London School and Sion Hall.
Location: Victoria Embankment, near Blackfriars Bridge
Nearest tube station: Temple
Crouching Figure Statue
This statue of a woman in a crouching position is located just outside of the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. Made of black marble by Italian sculpture Emilio Greco, it was gifted to the City of Westminster by Italy in 1987. The fountain around the statue is made of granite and water slides silently over the marble, enhancing its beauty.
Location: Carlos Place
Nearest tube station: Bond Street
The Flying Dancer
Located on the north side of the Thames, this is the statue of dancer David Wall, who began his training at the Royal Ballet School at the age of 10. He went on to become a soloist and the youngest male principal in the school’s history. He died of cancer in 2013 at the age of 67.
Sculpted in bronze in 1975 by Enzo Plazzotta, the statue was unveiled in 1985 by the Earl of Gowrie, Minister of the Arts.
Location: Vauxhall Bridge
Nearest tube station: Pimlico
International Brigade Memorial
Located by the London Eye, this 4.5m statue was sculpted in bronze by Ian Walters in honour of the more than 2,000 volunteers of the International Brigade who fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
Location: Jubilee Gardens
Nearest tube station: Waterloo
Animals at War
This memorial honours the thousands of animals – elephants, pigeons, dogs, mules, horses and camels – that transported troops, helped detect bombs and mines, laid telegraph wires, rescued the wounded and conveyed messages during wartime.
The inscription on the memorial wall reads: “This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time.”
The second line reads: “They had no choice.”
Location: Park Lane
Nearest tube station: Marble Arch
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