Apsley House

Apsley House, the former London residence of the first Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner, is open to visitors as a permanent display of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.

Apsley House is a Georgian townhouse at Hyde Park Corner that was home to the first Duke of Wellington and his family. Its collection of around 3,000 artworks, including paintings and sculptures, is shown across the principal rooms and in the basement gallery, so visitors move through both the lavish interiors and the works they hold.

The house is presented as the only aristocratic dwelling in London still admitting the public, and the display is permanent rather than tied to a fixed run. Visitors can also look through leather-bound albums in the newly established Inner Hall, which contain images of the Duke, his descendants and the house itself, offering a closer account of the family's life.

The visit suits those interested in the history of the Wellington family, in Georgian domestic life and in the decorative arts, as well as anyone who enjoys seeing a collection in its original setting. It is a straightforward walk through the house and gallery rather than a guided programme.