Driving to Hyde Park Corner
Those of us that are driving to work at the moment may be surprised by the state of the central London traffic. Although it has picked up again in the past couple of weeks, the roads have certainly been quieter with many Londoners working from home.
I have spent a lot of time recently searching the London Picture Archive, and there are many images on the website that show Hyde Park corner through the years. Here are some of those that I found particularly interesting, with an emphasis on the traffic that has flowed through this part of London for centuries.
Hyde Park Corner in 1959 when the road layout was somewhat different to the present day, before it was altered in the 1960s. On the left of the photograph are Buckingham Palace gardens, and on the right are buildings that have now been demolished. This is where the new Peninsula hotel is still under construction. Looking at this photograph I wonder how long the queue of traffic that these cars are joining was on this particular day.
Hyde Park Corner in 1872, as carriages speed in every direction in front of Decimus Burton’s Hyde Park screen. At the centre of the many horses and carriages making their way down Piccadilly or into Hyde Park a policeman can be seen directing the traffic. It is likely that this man was one of the Metropolitan police officers stationed at the Wellington Arch.
Hyde Park Corner in the early 19th century. This really is a chaotic scene, and shows that this has been a busy area for a very long time. The coach driver on the left seems to be pulling hard on the reins of his horses to bring them to a halt, and pedestrians dodge hooves and wheels as they mingle with the traffic. The statue of Achilles that can be seen in the park was unveiled in 1822 as a dedication to the Duke of Wellington. When this coloured aquatint was made the Hyde Park screen had not yet been built and a set of iron railings stand at the entrance to the park.
Hyde Park Corner in the late 18th or early 19th century. Apsley House can be seen on the left as it was when it was completed by Robert Adam in 1778. Originally a brick-faced house, it did not possess the same palatial grandeur as the Apsley House inhabited by the first Duke of Wellington. The scene is fairly quiet compared to those above, and a couple of soldiers loiter across the road from Hyde Park.
Hyde Park Corner in 1750, before Apsley House was built. On the horizon only the steeple of a church can be seen over the treetops, and the road is populated with a handful of horses and pedestrians. Somebody of importance seems to be leaving the park as those standing about have removed their hats as he passes on his horse. The humble row of houses at the edge of the park would one day be replaced by the grand residence of the Duke of Wellington. Roughly 19 years after the scene shown here he would be born in Dublin.
Finally, here is a lovely bit of British Pathe footage from 1896 showing all manner of horse drawn vehicles passing by Apsley House and the entrance to Hyde Park. I believe a Wellington Arch policeman walks by at one point as well.
Robin James
