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Marble Arch facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Marble Arch in London, spring 2013 (4)
Marble Arch viewed from the south, standing near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park

Marble Arch is a famous monument made of white Carrara marble. You can find it on a large traffic island in London. It stands where three busy roads meet: Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road. It's also very close to Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park.

For a long time, only members of the royal family and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, were allowed to march through the arch during special ceremonies.

Today, "Marble Arch" often refers to the area around the monument in West London. There's also a subway station nearby called Marble Arch.

History of Marble Arch

Buckingham Palace engraved by J.Woods after Hablot Browne & R.Garland publ 1837 edited
Marble Arch as it looked when it was first built at Buckingham Palace.

Marble Arch wasn't always in its current spot. Until 1851, it stood right in front of Buckingham Palace.

The arch was designed in 1825 by a famous architect named John Nash. He created it to be a grand entrance to the courtyard of the new Buckingham Palace. Nash was busy rebuilding the palace from an older building called Buckingham House. His design for the palace had three sides around a courtyard. Marble Arch was placed on the open eastern side of this courtyard.

Images for kids

  • Marble Arch (29797251968)

    The arch with The Cumberland Hotel and trees of Bryanston Square behind it.

  • Nashvanda

    A model of John Nash's first design for the arch. This model is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

  • Still Water Marble Arch 2020 (1)

    The sculpture Still Water by Nic Fiddian-Green, with Marble Arch in the background.

  • Marble Arch - geograph.org.uk - 1512461

    An aerial view showing the arch and its surroundings.

  • Marble Arch Gate

    A close-up detail from one of the gates.

  • Marble Arch Gate 2

    Another close-up detail from one of the gates.

  • Marble Arch Carving 1

    A carving on Marble Arch.

  • Marble Arch Carving 2

    Another carving on Marble Arch.

  • Marble Arch Carving 3

    A third carving on Marble Arch.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Marble Arch para niños

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