The Disraeli Monument is a Grade II* listed memorial erected in 1862 to the British writer and scholar Isaac D'Israeli, designed by the architect

Edward Buckton Lamb Edward Buckton Lamb (1806–1869) was a British architect who exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1824. Lamb was labelled a 'Rogue Gothic Revivalist', and his designs were roundly criticised for breaking with convention, especially by ''The E ...

. It is located on Tinker's Hill in the

Hughenden Valley Hughenden Valley (formerly called Hughenden or Hitchendon) is an extensive village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, just to the north of High Wycombe. It is almost 8,000 acres (32 km2) in size, divided mainly between arable and ...

near

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...

in Buckinghamshire. It was erected in June 1862 at a cost of £500; Lamb was paid £200 for his work, and a Mr. Thomas Coates had sold the land on which the monument stands to the Disraelis for £20. The monument stands in fields near

Hughenden Manor Hughenden Manor, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England, is a Victorian mansion, with earlier origins, that served as the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. It is now owned by the National Trust and o ...

, the D'Israelis' country house.

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

could be seen from the monument at the time of its erection. The monument is 50 ft in height and made from Bath stone. The monument was commissioned by D'Israeli's daughter-in-law

Mary Anne Disraeli Mary Anne Disraeli, 1st Viscountess Beaconsfield (; 11 November 1792 – 15 December 1872) was a British peeress and society figure who was the wife of the British statesman Benjamin Disraeli. Biography Born in Brampford Speke, near Exeter ...

, who was married to his eldest son, the politician and writer

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

. The monument was secretly planned and erected by Mary Anne without her husband's knowledge. It was designed by architect

. The positive reception of the monument led to Lamb being hired to remodel Hughenden Manor for the Disraelis. In a letter dated 21 August 1862 to Sarah Brydges Willyams, Disraeli described the new monument as "both for design, execution & even material is one of the most beautiful things not only in the County of Buckingham, but in England!". Disraeli repeated the sentiment in a letter to

Lionel de Rothschild Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (22 November 1808 – 3 June 1879) was a British Jewish banker, politician and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England. He became the first practising Jew to sit ...

later that month.

Inscription

On the east face of the monument a panel is inscribed: The panel on the north face is inscribed

References

{{Reflist

External links

A guided walk to the monument from Hughenden Manor
1862 establishments in England 1862 sculptures Benjamin Disraeli Buildings and structures completed in 1862 Edward Buckton Lamb buildings Grade II* listed monuments and memorials Grade II* listed buildings in Buckinghamshire Monuments and memorials in Buckinghamshire Monuments and memorials to writers Wycombe District