Duke of Gordon's Monument

Commemorative Monument in Moray, Scotland, UK

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 ElginDesignerWilliam BurnTypeTuscan columnHeight80 ft, excluding the statueBeginning 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

  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.
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