Apsley House

Apsley House is a London mansion that has been occupied for many years by the Wellington family. It is known as the Wellington Museum in the city due to the great variety of art collections that can be found there and that are open to the public.

Apsley House: history and importance

This London residence owes its name to its first owner, Lord Apsley, who sold the property in the early nineteenth century to the brother of the future Duke of Wellington: Arthur Wellesley, I Duke of Wellington.

Apsley House was built by Robert Adam. The residence conserves most of the initial decoration and it has not been reformed nor extended in years subsequent to the entrance of the Duke of Wellington, with the exception of the facade. This façade had standard red brick and it was the architect Wyatt who covered that brick with golden colored stone that was directly imported from the quarries of the city of Bath at the beginning of the 19th century.

Before the entry of the Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo in which he managed to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte, the mansion itself underwent extensive reform to adapt the residence to the style and taste of the Duke.

Apsley House: architecture and works of art

The great amount of military achievements enjoyed by the Duke of Wellington led him to be one of the people who administered a greater number of artistic gifts, despite not having a taste for art itself. All the artistic treasures were given to him in the form of a gift or an offering for the military aid he provided for the country.

In the interior of the residence you can find spectacular silver and porcelain objects, as well as incredible furniture and a wide gallery of more than 200 paintings, but what most attracts the attention of the people is the statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, four meters high.

Location times and prices

The Apsley House is located in Hyde Park and, more specifically, in the area known as Hyde Park Corner where the metro station of the same name is located. It is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

The price of access to House Number 1 is 4 pounds for children, 6 pounds for students and 6.70 pounds for adults. The owners of the London Pass can go for free.

In any case, there are very similar houses like Wallace Collection that you can also visit to get to know the art and decoration of the time better. Also, if you are a lover of paintings you have to visit the National Gallery of London

Do you dare to visit the Apsley House ?