Cleopatra's Needle is a Grade I listed building in the Westminster local planning authority area, England. First listed on 24 February 1958. A 1877 (setting on Embankment wall and sphinxes installed) Monument. 2 related planning applications.
Cleopatra's Needle
- WRENN ID
- rough-glass-larch
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Westminster
- Constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster MP: Rachel Blake (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 24 February 1958
- Type
- Monument
- Period
- 1877 (setting on Embankment wall and sphinxes installed)
- Address
- Cleopatra's Needle, Victoria Embankment Sw1, City of Westminster
- OS grid reference
- TQ 305 805
- Coordinates
- 51.5085, -0.12032
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Cleopatra's Needle is an ancient Egyptian obelisk located on the Victoria Embankment in Westminster. It dates from the reign of Thothmes III and is one of two originally erected in Heliopolis. The obelisk was brought to London as a gift in 1877, transported by sea in a specially designed iron casing. It is made of pink granite and stands on a granite base with water steps. Flanking the obelisk are two large bronze sphinxes designed by G. F. Vulliamy, all set on a stepped platform with a granite pedestal for the obelisk.
Local climate
Cleopatra's Needle sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 95% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 98% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 57% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 2 applications
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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