The Lansdowne Monument, as it came to be known, was designed for the 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780-1863) by Sir Charles Barry for a fee of £92. Barry is best remembered for the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. He had previously worked for Lord Lansdowne at Bowood designing the clock tower at the house and the Golden Gates at the entrance to the park at Derry Hill.
The builders of the monument, Daniel and Charles Jones, were from Bradford-on-Avon and their total budget was £1,359. The stone was quarried locally.
The monument, including the pedestal and base, is 125 feet or 38 meters high. It is one of the most outstanding obelisks in the British landscape and visible from as far away as 30 miles. It sits alongside Oldbury Castle, an Iron Age fort and one of the Wiltshire White Horse chalk figures at Cherhill Down.
The 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne, who spent his entire career in politics, serving as Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord President of the Council, dedicated the monument to his great-grandfather Sir William Petty (1623-1687). Petty was an economist, scientist, inventor, and merchant. He was a charter member of the Royal Society and briefly an MP.
The monument and surrounding land were sold by the 8th Marquis of Lansdowne (1912-1999) in 1955 to a local farmer who sold it to the National Trust in 1988. By 2013 the Grade 2 listed building was in a state of dilapidation and the National Trust erected hoardings and netting around the base of the structure to protect visitors from falling stone fragments.
With stunning views of the surrounding countryside, the monument is important to the local area and residents, many of whom would like the National Trust to restore the monument.
According to a recent report in the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, a target date for the removal of the hoardings has not been confirmed, but the National Trust says it is proceeding with a multi-phase repair scheme to give the monument ‘a sustainable future’ with work set to start in Spring 2026.
