Jump to content

Duke of Gordon's Monument

Coordinates: 57°38′53″N 03°19′20″W / 57.64806°N 3.32222°W / 57.64806; -3.32222 (The Duke of Gordon's Monument, Elgin)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Duke of Gordon's Monument
The Duke of Gordon's Monument
Map
57°38′53″N 03°19′20″W / 57.64806°N 3.32222°W / 57.64806; -3.32222 (The Duke of Gordon's Monument, Elgin)
LocationLady Hill, near Elgin
DesignerWilliam Burn
TypeTuscan column
Height80 ft, excluding the statue
Beginning date1838 (column built)
Completion date1855 (statue added)

The Duke of Gordon's Monument is a commemorative monument on Lady Hill in Elgin, Scotland. Built in honour of George Gordon, the 5th Duke of Gordon,[1] the monument takes the form of a Tuscan column, 80 feet (24 m) high, and 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) wide at the base. The column is hollow, with a spiral staircase leading up the shaft which gives access to the top. It was erected in 1839, and a statue of Gordon, sculpted by Thomas Goodwillie, was installed on the top in 1855.[2] It is designated as a Category A listed building.[3]

The monument was designed by the architect William Burn of Edinburgh,[3] who designed various other monuments including the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square. It was built at a cost of £1,240 by masons Brander and Shand,[4] and paid for from funds established by a bequest and contributed to by the Morayshire Farmers Club.[3] Originally it was topped with a lantern, but that did not meet with critical approval[5] and it was replaced by Goodwillie's statue, depicting Gordon wearing the robes of office associated with his role as Chancellor of Marischall College, Aberdeen, in 1855.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Duke of Gordon's Monument". scottish-places.info. The Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  2. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Elgin, Lady Hill, Duke Of Gordon Monument (193860)". Canmore. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Historic Environment Scotland. "High Street, Lady Hill, Duke of Gordon Monument (Category A Listed Building) (LB30775)". Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Public Buildings and Improvements". The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal. 1: 418. 1837. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. ^ Walker and Woodworth (2015). The Buildings of Scotland - Aberdeenshire North and Moray. Newhaven and London: Yale University Press. p. 589. ISBN 9780300204285.