Lord Hill's Column
Encyclopedia
Lord Hill's Column, outside the Shirehall (Shropshire Council
's headquarters), is one of the most notable landmarks of the town of Shrewsbury
, Shropshire
, England. The tallest Doric
column in England, standing at 133 feet 6 inches (40.69m), it commemorates Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
, with a 17 feet (5.2 m) standing on the top of the column. The column was built between 1814 and 1816; its diameter is two feet wider than Nelson's Column
, and, not including the pedestal, is 13 feet higher.
The architect was Edward Haycock, with modifications mainly to the pedestal
by Thomas Harrison
. The pedestal is square with a pier of buttress at each angle, on which are placed recumbent lions, worked of Grinshill stone (the same as the column) by John Carline of Shrewsbury. The statue of Lord Hill was modelled in Lithodipyra (Coade stone
) by Joseph Panzetta who worked for Eleanor Coade
.
The first stone was laid on 27 December 1814 by the Salopian Lodge of Free Masons assisted by deputies from adjoining lodges, on the festival of St. John the Evangelist. The last stone was laid on 18 June 1816, the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo
. The total expense was 5,972 pounds, 13 shillings and 2 pence (appx. £202,831.48 at 2005 prices.)
The structure once stood at the centre of the crossroads there, but the junction is now set aside from the column. The column also gives its name to a borough ward, which is simply "Column" ward. It is possible to climb within the column using steps to reach the top.
The column has been listed by English Heritage
as a Grade II* structure.
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
's headquarters), is one of the most notable landmarks of the town of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England. The tallest Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
column in England, standing at 133 feet 6 inches (40.69m), it commemorates Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
General Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill of Almaraz GCB, GCH served in the Napoleonic Wars as a trusted brigade, division and corps commander under the command of the Duke of Wellington. He became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1829.-Early career:Educated at a school in Chester, Hill was...
, with a 17 feet (5.2 m) standing on the top of the column. The column was built between 1814 and 1816; its diameter is two feet wider than Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
, and, not including the pedestal, is 13 feet higher.
The architect was Edward Haycock, with modifications mainly to the pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
by Thomas Harrison
Thomas Harrison (architect)
Thomas Harrison was an English architect and engineer. He built a number of bridges, including Grosvenor Bridge in Chester. He also rebuilt parts of Chester and Lancaster castles...
. The pedestal is square with a pier of buttress at each angle, on which are placed recumbent lions, worked of Grinshill stone (the same as the column) by John Carline of Shrewsbury. The statue of Lord Hill was modelled in Lithodipyra (Coade stone
Coade stone
Lithodipyra , or Coade stone, was ceramic stoneware that was often described as an artificial stone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used for moulding Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments that were both of the highest quality and remain virtually...
) by Joseph Panzetta who worked for Eleanor Coade
Eleanor Coade
Eleanor Coade was a devout Baptist and remained unmarried until her death on 16 November 1821 in Camberwell Grove, Camberwell, London. Her obituary notice was published in The Gentleman's Magazine which declared her ‘the sole inventor and proprietor of an art which deserves considerable notice’...
.
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. The total expense was 5,972 pounds, 13 shillings and 2 pence (appx. £202,831.48 at 2005 prices.)
The structure once stood at the centre of the crossroads there, but the junction is now set aside from the column. The column also gives its name to a borough ward, which is simply "Column" ward. It is possible to climb within the column using steps to reach the top.
The column has been listed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* structure.