Admiralty Citadel

Intended as a fortress for a last stand in the event of a German invasion during World War II, this bomb-proof command centre for the Royal Navy was built in 1941 with a concrete roof six metres thick. Never a pretty building, it is impossible to demolish and is covered with ivy that acted as camouflage and softens its appearance.

Royal Marines Memorial

This 1903 statue by Adrian Jones remembers those lost in China and the Boer War. Jones, a veterinary surgeon with the cavalry, only set up as a painter and sculptor when he retired from the army in 1890, aged 45. He specialised in equestrian figures, notably the Quadriga on top of Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

Duke Of York

This 40m granite column of 1833 cost £30,000 - paid for by deducting a day’s pay from every man in the British Army. The duke was the second son of George III and commander-in-chief of British Army. The sculptor was Sir Richard Westmacott. The gallery - no longer open - offers fine views of the West End and Surrey hills.

Royal Artillery Memorial

The horse of war is controlled by the winged figure of peace in this work by William Robert Colton (1867-1921). The pillars list the 1,078 men who died in South Africa and plaques show the artillery in action. Unveiled in 1920 by the Duke of Connaught, using a electronic remote control from a memorial service in
St Paul’s Cathedral.

Galleon Lamp Posts

These lampposts, each topped with a Galleon, are the last vestiges of the original plan to lay out The Mall as a great ceremonial route on a nautical theme, lined with effigies of famous men, of which the statue of Captain James Cook is the sole survivor. Designed by Sir Thomas Brock who also sculpted Cook.

Captain James Cook

‘Circumnavigator Of The Globe Explorer Of The Pacific Ocean He Laid The Foundations Of The British Empire In Australia And New Zealand Charted The Shores Of Newfoundland And Traversed The Ocean Gates Of Canada Both East And West.’ Sailors flinch to see him standing on a rope - most unlikely and very dangerous.

Admiralty Arch

Built by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, this 1912 arch is actually an office building - for the Cabinet office, among others - and a ceremonial entrance to The Mall. Look for the  life-size human ‘nose’ - said to be Wellington’s - at saddle height which riders passing through the most northerly arch rub for luck.

Victoria Monument

Sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock (he was knighted at the unveiling) in 1911, with a nautical theme on a base of 2,300 tons of white marble by architect Sir Aston Webb. The seated figure of Queen Victoria has the wedding ring on her right hand - as her husband Prince Albert was German, she wore it in the European style.

Tube: Charing Cross