Memorials & monuments · London
Fourth Plinth
Fourth Plinth is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 15 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Charing Cross · 0.2 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Fourth Plinth is a public memorial or monument in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1999. Coordinates: 51.5082°, -0.1287°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The fourth plinth is the northwest plinth in Trafalgar Square in central London. It was originally intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained empty due to lack of funds. For over 150 years, its use was debated; in 1998, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) commissioned three contemporary sculptures to be displayed temporarily on the plinth. Shortly afterwards, Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioned Sir John Mortimer to seek opinions from public art commissioners, critics and members of the public as to its future. Mortimer's final report recommended that there continue to be a rolling programme of commissioned temporary artworks rather than settle permanently on one figure or idea. In 2003, the ownership of Trafalgar Square was transferred from Westminster City Council to the Mayor of London and this marked the beginning of the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Commission as it is now known.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
There is a plinth at each of the four corners of the square. The two southern plinths carry sculptures of Henry Havelock and Charles James Napier. The northern plinths are larger than those in the southern corners, as they were designed to have equestrian statues, and indeed the northeastern plinth has one of George IV. The fourth plinth on the northwest corner, designed by Sir Charles Barry and built in 1841, was intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV but remained empty due to insufficient funds.
Visiting
In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World, the narrator speculates that Professor Challenger "in his fancy, may ... see himself sometimes, gracing the vacant pedestal in Trafalgar Square".
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5082, -0.1287
- District
- Westminster
- Parish
- Westminster, unparished area
- Postcode
- SW1Y 5AY
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
- Established
- 1999
- Nearest railway station
- Charing Cross — 0.2 km
Sources
- osm: w153342477 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Fourth plinth (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Empty Fourth Plinth.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Fourth Plinth?
- Fourth Plinth is in London, United Kingdom (postcode SW1Y 5AY), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
- When was Fourth Plinth built?
- Built or established in 1999.
- Is Fourth Plinth free to visit?
- Yes, Fourth Plinth is free to enter.
- How do I get to Fourth Plinth?
- The nearest railway station is Charing Cross, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SW1Y 5AY.