Apsley House, the neoclassical London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington

Apsley House is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington, standing alone at Hyde Park Corner on the south-east corner of Hyde Park. Designed by Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, the house was built between 1771 and 1778 for Lord Apsley, the Lord Chancellor. It was purchased by Richard Wellesley in 1807 and passed to his younger brother, Arthur, the 1st Duke of Wellington, in 1817. Some of the original interiors survive, including the Piccadilly Drawing Room and the Portico Room.

Following the 1828 appointment of the Duke as Prime Minister, a second phase of construction began. This included a new staircase and the Waterloo Gallery on the west side of the house. The red-brick exterior was clad in Bath stone, and a pedimented portico was added. The Waterloo Gallery was named after the Duke's victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, and it became the site for the annual Waterloo Banquet starting in 1828, seating 74 people.

Today, the house is officially designated as the Wellington Museum. Managed by English Heritage, much of the house is open to the public as a museum and art gallery, exhibiting the Wellington Collection of paintings and memorabilia. The 9th Duke of Wellington retains an apartment spanning the northern half of the ground floor for private use. The building remains a Grade I listed site, with the Duke's equestrian statue visible across the busy road from the house's location.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons