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, a Scottish hero from the 13th and 14th centuries. He was famous for leading the Scots in battles for their freedom.
You can visit the tower for a fee. To get there, you walk up the hill from its base. Once inside, there are 246 steps that lead up to the very top, where you can see amazing views. Along the way, there are three rooms inside the tower that have interesting exhibits. Please note that the tower is not easy to access for visitors who use wheelchairs.
Contents
Why Was the Monument Built?
The idea for the tower came from a big effort to raise money. This happened during the 1800s, when people in Scotland felt a strong sense of national pride. The campaign started in Glasgow in 1851, led by a man named Rev Charles Rogers. Later, William Burns took over the project in 1855.
Many people donated money to build the monument. Even some people from other countries helped, like Giuseppe Garibaldi, a famous leader from Italy. The first stone was laid in 1861 by the Duke of Atholl, who was a leader of the Freemasons in Scotland.
The monument was finished in 1869. It cost about £18,000 to build. The architect who designed it was John Thomas Rochead. The tower is made of sandstone and is built in a style called Victorian Gothic. This style was popular in the Victorian era and looks a bit like old castles or churches.
What Can You See Inside?
The tower stands on Abbey Craig, which is a rocky hill formed by a volcano. This spot is important because it's said that William Wallace watched the army of King Edward I of England from here, just before the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.
When you climb the 246 spiral steps inside the monument, you reach a viewing area at the top. From there, you can see wide views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley.
Inside the monument, you can also see some items that are believed to have belonged to William Wallace. 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 almost three kilograms (about 6.6 pounds)!
There is also a special area called the Hall of Heroes. This hall has busts (sculptures of heads and shoulders) of many famous Scots. It's like a small national Hall of Fame. Some of the heroes honored there include Robert the Bruce, Robert Burns, Adam Smith, and James Watt. In 2017, two women, Mary Slessor and Maggie Keswick Jencks, were added as the first heroines in the hall.
Statues of Wallace
The Original Statue
An older statue of Wallace, made during the Victorian era, stands on the corner of the monument. It was created by a sculptor from Edinburgh named David Watson Stevenson.
The "Freedom" Statue
In 1996, a sculptor named Tom Church made a statue of Wallace called "Freedom." This statue was inspired by the movie Braveheart, and it even has the face of Mel Gibson, the actor who played William Wallace in the film.
This statue was placed near the visitor center at the bottom of the hill in 1997. However, many people did not like it, and it was often damaged. To protect it, the statue was put inside a cage. In 2008, it was removed because the visitor center was being expanded. After trying to sell it, the sculptor eventually moved it to his own garden. In 2021, the "Freedom" statue was moved to Glebe Park stadium in Brechin.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a William Wallace para niños
- Statue of William Wallace, Aberdeen
- Wallace's Monument, Ayrshire
- Statue of William Wallace, Bemersyde
- Wallace's Monument at Elderslie
- National Monument of Scotland
