Region ID

Work ID

Manual Reference

Type

Title

Designer

Date of design

Year of unveiling

Unveiling details

Road

Precise Location

A to Z Ref

OS Ref

Postcode

Work is

Listing Status

Duty of Care

Commissioned by

Notes

Triangular obelisk tapering to a conical point, set on a curved triangular plinth. Narrow heavy iron door, heavily studded on one side of plinth, above it a winged stone ball covered by a stone cornice. A cannon on a wooden carriage points its barrel to the northwest.

In 1815 William Ayshford Sandford of Nynehead suggested a monument to the Duke and by December of that year £1450 had been raised by public subscription. The winning entry, by Thomas Lee of Barnstaple, in a design competition envisaged a 95ft pillar surmounted by a cast iron statue of the Duke, with three cottages incorporated in the base for occupation by three veteran soldiers.The foundation stone was laid by Lord Somerville on 20th October 1817. By December 1818 the pillar was only 47ft high and in 1820 a new appeal was launched for £500. The response was poor and the column of 121 ft was left incomplete with a flat top and no statue. In 1829 £2000 was still needed and the project was allowed to slide. Lightning struck the tower in 1846 and badly damaged the structure. The death of the Duke in 1852 gave fresh impetus to the memorial and a fresh appeal was organised by Arthur Kingslake of Taunton, treasurer of the fund. A survey showed that most of the original mortar used proved to be soluble in water and had been washed away. Taunton architect C.E. Giles was hired and eventually the pillar was raised to 170 feet and a conical cap, incorporating a viewing chamber was placed on it in 1853. By 1890 the monument was still in poor condition and more money was needed for restoration. The work was finished in October 1892 raising the height to 175 feet, without a statue or the cottages originally planned. 24 cannons were also to be placed around the plinth at one time but after many false starts over the years four cannons were trundled into place only to be taken away for scrap during WWII. The obelisk became a charitable trust in 1893 and was taken over by the National Trust in 1934.

The Duke of Wellington. Following his victory over the French at Talavera in 1809 in the Peninsula War, Arthur Wellesley was enobled and had to select a title. Wellesley was overseas so his brother William chose one for him - Wellington - a town that Arthur had never been to. Arthur bought two estates in Wellington with the £100,000 Parliament had voted him. Wellington only visited the town once on 28th September 1819.

circa

raw year

Condition

At risk

Inscriptions

Signatures

Obelisk

Whitestaunton stone

5250h

Corrosion, Deterioration

None

None