Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, London, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain stands at the edge of Piccadilly Circus in London's West End. Its winged bronze-and-aluminium archer is known to everyone as Eros, though he is most likely his brother Anteros. Unveiled in 1893, the fountain honours a Victorian reformer who fought to get children out of factories and into school.

The story behind it

The fountain commemorates the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a politician and philanthropist who campaigned against child labour and for children's education. Sculptor Alfred Gilbert chose not to make a plain portrait statue. He wanted a figure that stood for the spirit of the earl's work, and settled on a winged archer representing selfless love. That is why many people say the statue is Anteros, the god of selfless love, rather than Eros, the god of romantic love. The name Eros stuck anyway.

The statue is also remembered as an early use of aluminium in sculpture, a very modern material in the 1890s. It was unveiled in 1893 and has not stayed put ever since. It was moved away while the Tube station beneath the circus was rebuilt and came back in 1931. During the Second World War it was taken out of London for safekeeping and returned in 1947. Today it stands at the edge of the circus rather than in the middle.

What to look for

• Look up at the slender archer balanced on one foot, wings out and bow drawn, high above the traffic.
• Notice the sculpted sea creatures around the fountain's base, an unusual choice for a memorial to a social reformer.
• Take in the glowing advertising screens behind the statue, which make the old fountain look even more striking after dark.
• Watch the steps, where Londoners and visitors have long sat to meet friends and watch the crowds go by.

Tips for your visit

• The fountain is outdoors in a public square, so you can see it any time, though you cannot go inside it. A few minutes is enough for the statue itself.
• Come in the early evening if you can, when the lights come on and the circus is at its liveliest.
• Piccadilly Circus Tube station is right beside it, and Regent Street, Soho, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square are all a short walk away.
• The steps and pavements get very crowded, so keep an eye on your belongings and give yourself a little extra time to take photos.

See it on a quest

London's lights: Explore Monopoly - Oxford Circus to Trafalgar Square takes you on foot through the busy streets of central London, with the fountain as one stop along the way. The app tells you about each place as you reach it and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in London suits anyone who likes their sightseeing with a darker edge. You walk between stops, hear about each one as you arrive and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Luminous London's West End UrbanHunt: The Prime Delivery keeps you in the West End, where the neon and the crowds are part of the show. You reach the fountain on foot as one stop on a longer route, learn about it in the app and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.