The Arch by Henry Moore in Kensington Gardens
Updated: 22 hours ago
The Henry Moore Arch in Kensington Gardens stands on the north bank of the Long Water – a six-metre travertine sculpture that most people walk straight past. The ones who stop stand inside the void and look through at Kensington Palace on the far side of the lake. That is exactly what Henry Moore intended.
The Arch is one of Moore's largest outdoor sculptures and one of the most dramatic things in any of London's Royal Parks. It weighs 37 tonnes. It is made from seven blocks of travertine marble sourced from a quarry in northern Italy. And it is entirely free to walk up to any time Kensington Gardens is open.
How Did the Henry Moore Arch Come to Kensington Gardens?
In 1978, Moore's eightieth-birthday exhibition was held at the Serpentine Gallery, which sits at the southern edge of Kensington Gardens. Several large sculptures were placed around the park for the show.
Two years later, the Tate and the Henry Moore Foundation presented The Arch to the nation for permanent siting in Kensington Gardens. Moore had seen how the sculpture looked reflected in the Long Water and agreed it belonged there. The travertine version, catalogue number LH 503c, was carved specifically for the site and installed in 1980.
In 1996 the structure was found to be unstable and was carefully dismantled and put into storage. It remained in storage for sixteen years. The Royal Parks and the Henry Moore Foundation funded a full restoration, replacing the original bronze fixings with stainless steel dowelling, and The Arch was reinstalled at its original location in 2012.
What Was the Inspiration Behind The Arch?
Moore was fascinated by bones. He described the bone as the inner structure of all living form, and throughout the 1930s he made drawings exploring the transformation of bone into body and body into landscape.
Ideas for Sculpture: Transformation of Bones, drawn in 1932, shows a structure strikingly close to The Arch – a hollow, arching form that is part skeleton and part architecture. Moore was also moved by a visit to Stonehenge in 1921, and he acknowledged the arch's connection to naturally occurring structures: sea arches, caves, the triumphal arches of classical cities.
The result is a work that feels ancient and organic at the same time. It could be bone, rock, a Roman ruin, or something that has simply been shaped by centuries of weather. The void in the centre is as important as the solid form around it.
Is The Arch the Same as Large Torso: Arch?
They are related but different works. Large Torso: Arch (LH 503) is a bronze sculpture Moore made in 1962–63, about two metres high. It exists in several casts and can be found in MoMA in New York, in Hiroshima, and in the Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee, among others.
The Kensington Gardens sculpture is The Arch (LH 503c), made specifically in travertine marble in 1979–80 for its outdoor setting. It is three times the height of Large Torso: Arch and carved from stone rather than cast in bronze. Both works grow from the same preoccupation with the arch as a body and as a landscape – but they are not versions of each other.
Where to Find the Henry Moore Arch Kensington Gardens
The Arch stands on the east bank of the Long Water, the section of the Serpentine lake that lies within Kensington Gardens. From the north, follow the path along the east side of the Long Water south from the Italian Gardens. The sculpture appears in an open space set back slightly from the water.
Looking through the arch from the east side, the view frames Kensington Palace directly. From the west bank of the Long Water, you can see the arch reflected in the water. Both views are worth having.
Late October is a good time to go. The trees around the Long Water turn and the park is at its most photogenic. See the full guide to the best autumn foliage in London.
Visiting The Arch by Henry Moore: Practical Notes
📍 Where: East bank of the Long Water, Kensington Gardens, London W2. No postcode maps to it precisely – head for the Italian Gardens at the north end of the Long Water and walk south along the water's edge.
⏰ Opening: Kensington Gardens opens at 6am daily and closes at dusk. The Arch is in the open park and accessible whenever it is open. Free to visit.
🚇 Getting there: Lancaster Gate (Central line) is the nearest station, about a 10-minute walk to the Long Water. Queensway (Central line) is also walkable from the north end of the park.
🗺️ Nearby: The Serpentine Gallery is a 10-minute walk south. The Elfin Oak is north of the playground near the Diana Memorial. The Italian Gardens are at the top of the Long Water.
*All photos were taken by Ina / WithinLondon. The Transformation of Bones drawing appears courtesy of the Henry Moore Foundation catalogue.
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