Lord Hill's Column facts for kids
Lord Hill's Column, Shrewsbury
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| Location | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
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| Designer | Edward Haycock Sr., Thomas Harrison (architect), Joseph Panzetta, John Carline |
| Type | Victory column |
| Material | Grinshill Stone and Coade Stone |
| Height | 133 feet 6 inches (40.69 m) |
| Beginning date | 1814 |
| Completion date | 1816 |
| Dedicated to | Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill |
Lord Hill's Column is a tall monument in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. It stands outside the Shropshire Council building, called Shirehall. This impressive column is built in the Doric order style, which is a classic Greek design. It is about 133 feet (40.7 meters) tall.
The column honors General Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill. On top of the column, there is a 17-foot (5.2-meter) tall statue of him. The column itself is shorter than some other monuments. However, when you add the height of the statue, it becomes taller than the 'Monument to British Liberty' at Gibside. Lord Hill's Column was built between 1814 and 1816. It is also wider and taller than Nelson's Column in London, not counting Nelson's pedestal.
Contents
Building the Column
Who Designed It?
The main architect for Lord Hill's Column was Edward Haycock Snr. Thomas Harrison made some changes, especially to the bottom part. This bottom part is called the pedestal. It is square with strong supports at each corner.
On these supports are statues of lions lying down. These lions were carved by John Carline of Shrewsbury. They are made from Grinshill stone, which is the same type of stone used for the column itself. The statue of Lord Hill on top was made by Joseph Panzetta. He used a special material called Lithodipyra, also known as Coade stone.
When Was It Built?
The very first stone of the column was placed on December 27, 1814. This was done by a group called the Salopian Lodge of Free Masons. They were helped by other groups of Masons.
The very last stone was put in place on June 18, 1816. This date was special because it was exactly one year after the Battle of Waterloo. That was a very important battle where Lord Hill fought. The whole monument cost about 5,972 pounds back then. This would be around £202,831 in today's money (2005 prices).
What Happened After?
When Lord Hill passed away in 1842, he left some money for the column. He wanted five guineas each year for the person looking after the column. He also left ten guineas a year for lighting it up. Another ten guineas went to the person in charge of the light.
The column used to be right in the middle of a busy road crossing. Now, the road has been moved away from it. There used to be an iron fence around the bottom of the column, but it was removed later. The column is so famous that a part of the local area is even named "Column" ward after it. You can actually go inside the column and climb steps to reach the very top!
Looking After the Column
Protecting a Landmark
English Heritage has officially listed Lord Hill's Column as a Grade II* structure. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
In early 2013, the column started to show damage. This was after a harsh winter with strong winds. Small pieces of the statue began to fall off. Because of this, the area around the column was blocked off for safety. In May 2013, Shropshire Council started looking for ways to fix the statue. Everyone agreed that keeping this important landmark safe was very important. The repair work cost about £350,000.
Recent Repairs and Future Plans
After the repairs, the column was opened to visitors in the summer and autumn of 2015. This was part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Waterloo. The column was also open in 2016, thanks to a group called the Friends of Lord Hill's Column.
In March 2019, the statue of Lord Hill was damaged again by strong winds and freezing weather. An inspection showed the damage was not as bad as in 2013. Repairs were planned for May or June, costing £10,000. However, these repairs were delayed several times. They were then set to start in May 2020. In June 2019, discussions began about building a new statue. This new statue would cost about £500,000.
In March 2021, Shropshire Council announced they were looking for someone to help raise the £500,000 needed for a new statue. If a new statue is made, they hope to put it up by 2022. This would mark 250 years since Lord Hill was born.
