Wallace Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wallace Monument |
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The tower in 2013
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| General information | |
| Type | Tower |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Location | Abbey Craig |
| Town or city | Stirling |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°8′19″N 3°55′13″W / 56.13861°N 3.92028°W |
| Named for | William Wallace |
| Groundbreaking | 1861 |
| Completed | 1869 |
| Cost | £18,000 |
| Height | 67 m (220 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Thomas Rochead |
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Listed Building – Category A
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| Official name | Wallace Monument Abbey Craig |
| Designated | 4 November 1965 |
| Reference no. | LB41118 |
The National Wallace Monument, often called the Wallace Monument, is a tall tower in Scotland. It stands 67 meters (about 220 feet) high on a hill called Abbey Craig, which overlooks the city of Stirling. This monument was built to remember Sir William Wallace. He was a brave Scottish hero from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The tower is open for people to visit. You need to pay a small fee to go inside. Visitors walk up the hill to reach the monument. Once inside, there are 246 steps that lead to the very top. Along the way, there are three rooms with interesting exhibits. Please note that the tower is not easy to access for visitors with disabilities.
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Building the Monument
The Wallace Monument was built after a big effort to raise money. This happened during a time in the 1800s when Scottish people felt a strong sense of national pride. The idea for the monument started in Glasgow in 1851. A man named Rev Charles Rogers began the fundraising, and William Burns later took over.
People from many places donated money. Even famous leaders from other countries, like Giuseppe Garibaldi from Italy, helped fund it. The monument was designed by an architect named John Thomas Rochead. He used a style called Victorian Gothic, which was popular at the time.
The first stone of the monument was laid in 1861. This special event was led by the Duke of Atholl. The Abbey Craig hill was chosen as the perfect spot. People believed that William Wallace watched the English army gather from this very spot before the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.
The tower is made of sandstone and took eight years to build. It was finished in 1869. The total cost was about £18,000, which would be around £1.8 million today.
What to See Inside
The monument is a popular place for visitors. You can climb a spiral staircase with 246 steps. At the top, there is a viewing platform. From here, you get amazing views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley.
Inside the monument, you can see some special items. One of the most famous is the Wallace Sword. This is a very long sword, about 1.63 meters (5 feet 4 inches) long, and it weighs about three kilograms (seven pounds). Many believe it belonged to William Wallace himself.
There is also a special room called the Hall of Heroes. This room has busts, which are sculptures of the heads and shoulders, of many famous Scots. It's like a small national Hall of Fame. Some of the heroes honored here include Robert the Bruce, Robert Burns, and James Watt. In 2017, two important women, Mary Slessor and Maggie Keswick Jencks, were also added to the Hall of Heroes.
Statues of William Wallace
There are several statues of William Wallace. The original statue on the monument itself was made by an Edinburgh sculptor named David Watson Stevenson.
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"Freedom" Statue
In 1996, an artist named Tom Church created a statue of Wallace called "Freedom." This statue was inspired by the movie Braveheart. It even has the face of Mel Gibson, the actor who played William Wallace in the film.
The statue was first placed near the monument's visitor center. However, many people did not like it. It was often damaged, so it had to be put inside a cage for protection. In 2008, the statue was removed. After trying to sell it, the artist eventually moved it to his own garden. In September 2021, the "Freedom" statue was moved to Glebe Park stadium in Brechin.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a William Wallace para niños
