Animals in War Memorial

The lowdown

On a strip of green beside the rush of Park Lane stands one of London's most affecting memorials, dedicated to the countless animals that served and died alongside British forces. A curved Portland stone wall is carved with images of elephants, camels, horses and dogs, and two heavily laden bronze mules struggle up toward a gap in the wall, beyond which a horse and a dog walk free.

The carved inscription is simply devastating in its plainness, noting that these animals had no choice. It is free, often overlooked by the traffic streaming past, and worth crossing to, a thoughtful tribute that stops most visitors in their tracks.