The Wellington Monument
The Wellington Monument is a three-sided, 175ft tall, hollow obelisk located on the top of the Blackdown Hills, in Somerset England. It overlooks the small town of Wellington and is clearly visible from the M5 motorway. Look to the south when you're a few miles into Somerset from the east Devon border (but not if you're driving!).
The monument was erected in honour of the Duke of Wellington, famous for his military victory at the Battle of Waterloo. The Duke took his name from the town, although he had no ties with the area and visited it only once in his lifetime. The monument was built on land bought for him by the people of England after the battle.
Work began on the monument in 1817, but was not completed until 1892, well after the Duke's death in September 1852. Completion took a long time, not because it was a technically difficult project, but because of finances. After initial enthusiastic public support several modifications had to be made to the original design to reduce costs. In particular the number of sides was reduced from four to three, and the proposed iron statue of the Duke that was to be set on top was omitted.
For the strong-of-heart it is still possible to make the 235 step ascent to the top. Here there is a circular window in each wall, offering spectacular views over the Somerset countryside and beyond. | 