Bridgewater Monument
51°48′30″N 0°35′39″W / 51.80829°N 0.59426°W grid reference SP968132 | |
Location | Ashridge, Hertfordshire United Kingdom |
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Type | Victory column |
Material | Granite |
Height | 108 feet (33 m) |
Completion date | 1832 |
Dedicated to | Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater |
Website | nationaltrust.org.uk |
The Bridgewater Monument is a
History
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater and 6th Earl of Bridgewater was a pioneer in the construction of canals during the early part of
The monument is near the family seat Ashridge House in Hertfordshire, which the Duke neglected for many years and then decided to rebuild. Although he demolished the dilapidated house, he did not see through his ambitious plans as he died in 1803, leaving the ruins to his successor, John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater, who built a new house.[4]
The Canal Duke was buried in the family mausoleum in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the village of Little Gaddesden, around 1.8 miles (2.9 km) east of the monument. A marble wall monument there commemorates his death.[5]
A memorial to the Duke was considered by his successor, the 7th Earl of Bridgewater, but it was not until the death of his brother,
Construction
At the time,
The Bridgewater Monument was designed by Wyattville in a Neoclassical style, consisting of a giant 108-foot (33 m)-tall fluted Greek Doric column, surmounted by a giant copper funerary urn finial.
There are 172 steps inside, and the abacus provides a viewing platform.[10][1] At the base, the large pedestal is inscribed with the words:[1]
'IN HONOUR OF
FRANCIS, THIRD DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER
"FATHER OF INLAND NAVIGATION"
1832'
Inside the entrance passage leading up to the staircase, there is a brass plate which records the instruction of the 8th Earl to erect the monument with the inscription:[1]
THIS COLUMN WAS ERECTED CONFORMABLE WITH THE INTENTION OF JOHN WILLIAM EARL OF BRIDGEWATER ACCORDING TO THE TESTAMENTARY DIRECTION OF FRANCIS HENRY EARL OF BRIDGEWATER AND WITH THE APPROBATION OF CHARLOTTE C. ANNE COUNTESS OF BRIDGEWATER IN HONOUR OF FRANCIS THIRD DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER, WHO BY DEVOTING THE ENERGIES OF HIS MIND TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE MOST SPLENDID WORKS OF INLAND NAVIGATION OPENED A NEW FIELD TO NATIONAL INDUSTRY AND RENDERED THE MOST IMPORTANT SERVICES TO THE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF HIS COUNTRY
Although the waterway most closely associated with the deceased was the Bridgewater Canal, it is thought that the monument was erected to celebrate the construction of the Grand Junction Canal, which passes around 1.3 miles (2.1 km) south-west of the site. The Bridgewater Monument stands on Moneybury Hill, a protruding part of the Ashridge plateau, and overlooks the village of Aldbury.[1]
Visitor attraction
Today the Bridgewater Monument, like the Ashridge Estate, is in the care of the
Image gallery
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The monument seen from Aldbury
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The monument
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Inscription on the plinth
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The finial urn and viewing platform
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View from the top looking along Princes Riding to Ashridge House
References
- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "The Bridgewater Monument (Grade II*) (1078046)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ "Duke of Bridgewater Monument at Ashridge Estate". Visit East of England. Retrieved 25 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "A proud heritage". Bridgewater Canal official website. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ISBN 9781871372007.
- ^ "Church History and Tour". Little Gaddesden Parish Church. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Nevell, Michael; Wyke, Terry. "Why is there no Statue to the Duke of Bridgewater in Manchester?". Bridgewater 250: The Archaeology of the World's First Industrial Canal. University of Salford. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Birtchnell P, A History of Berkhamsted, 1972, Clunberry Press
- ISBN 9780952863113.
- ISBN 9780850334609.
- ^ a b "Bridgewater Monument at Ashridge Estate". National Trust. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
External links
- "Climbing to the top of the Bridgewater Monument". IanVisits. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- Bridgewater Monument at Ashridge on YouTube