SeePublic art

Fourth Plinth

The fourth plinth is the northwest plinth in Trafalgar Square in central London. It was originally intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained empty due to lack of funds. For over 150 years, its use was debated; in 1998, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) commissioned three contemporary sculptures to be displayed temporarily on the plinth.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

history

Address: Trafalgar Sq
Website: london.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Place data from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Also listed in Overture Maps open data.

Updated 29 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

SeePublic art
Statue of James II
The statue of James II is a bronze sculpture located in the front garden of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Probably inspired by French statues of the same period, it depicts James II of England as a Roman emperor, wearing Roman armour and a laurel wreath (traditionally awarded to a victorious Roman commander). It originally also depicted him holding a baton.
Built 1686 · Heritage listed
SeeMuseum
国家美术馆
London
SeeMemorial
Charles James Napier
A bronze statue of Charles James Napier by the sculptor George Gammon Adams stands in Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom. It occupies one of the four plinths in Trafalgar Square, the one to the southwest of Nelson's Column.
Built 1855
SeeAttractionLeicester Square
Trafalgar Square
The main, central square of London, Trafalgar Square is associated with celebration and demonstration - it is the site of London's lacklustre New Year celebrations, and in 2003 was the site of the triumphant homecoming of the British Rugby team from the World Cup, and a centre for demonstration against Britain's involvement in the Iraq War. The square has been associated with the many hundreds of pigeons that used to be found here, but in 2003 a bylaw was passed to make it illegal to feed them. Nelson's Column, surrounded by the four bronze lions can be found here, on the south side of the square. The north-west plinth in the square was intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained bare since 1841 due to insufficient funds. Since 1999, it has been used to display controversial contemporary sculpture.
Wheelchair accessible