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Albert Memorial, London
Hyde Park, Kensington Gore, SW7
 Knightsbridge
The national memorial to Prince Albert was built from a design by George Gilbert Scott who had been personally selected by Queen Victoria. The monument, thought by some to be gaudy and inappropriate, stands 175 feet high and houses a 14 foot high statue of the prince by John Foley. The Albert Memorial was completed in 1876 at a total cost of £120,000.
In one of the most complex restoration projects in the World, English Heritage has now restored the Memorial to all the gilded splendour which it was originally designed to display. Almost the entire upper section of the memorial had to be completely dismatled, the spire being reassembled with over 100 tons of lead lining the iron core. The double gilding of Albert's statue took up 1,800 twenty-five page books of 23 carat gold leaf.
The newly reborn Albert Memorial is a site to behold. The High Gothic architecture may not be to everyone's taste, but it is certainly a reminder of the greatness of the man and the times in which he lived. More Information on Offtolondon.com.
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