The Hood monument is a memorial column to

Sir Samuel Hood Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood (12 December 1724 – 27 January 1816) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. As a junior officer he saw action during the War of the Austrian Succession. While in temporary command of , he drove a French ship ashore i ...

on a hill near Butleigh in the parish of Compton Dundon,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It was completed in 1831 to a design by Henry Goodridge.

Description

The monument is a

Tuscan column The Tuscan order (Latin ''Ordo Tuscanicus'' or ''Ordo Tuscanus'', with the meaning of Etruscan order) is one of the two classical orders developed by the Romans, the other being the composite order. It is influenced by the Doric order, but with ...

on a cuboid ashlar base set on two tall steps, the lower supporting a wrought iron railing enclosure. The proportions of the monument were based on those of

Trajan's column Trajan's Column ( it, Colonna Traiana, la, Columna Traiani) is a Roman triumphal column in Rome, Italy, that commemorates Roman emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. It was probably constructed under the supervision of the architect Ap ...

in Rome. There was originally a doorway in the base, but this was sealed in 1990. The monument culminates in a band of laurel wreaths beneath a naval crown, composed of the sculpted sterns of four galleons interspersed with four mainsails. It was carved by Gahagan of Bath. The monument was paid for by public subscription and designed by the architect Henry Goodridge. It was originally linked to the Hood family home at Butleigh by a mile long avenue of cedar trees. The inscription was composed by Sir James Mackintosh and reads as follows: On the north face: IN MEMORY OF SIR SAMUEL HOOD BARONET KNIGHT OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH AND NOMINATED GRAND CROSS THEREOF KNIGHT OF St FERDINAND AND OF MERIT KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OF THE SWORD VICE ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF HIS MAJESTY'S FLEET IN THE EAST INDIES On the west face: AN OFFICER OF THE HIGHEST DISTINCTION AMONGST THE ILLUSTRIOUS MEN WHO RENDERED THEIR OWN AGE THE BRIGHTEST PERIOD IN THE NAVAL HISTORY OF THEIR COUNTRY On the south face: THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO THEIR LATE COMMANDER BY THE ATTACHMWNT AND REVERENCE OF BRITISH OFFICERS OF WHOM MANY WERE HIS ADMIRING FOLLOWERS IN THOSE AWFUL SCENES OF WAR IN WHICH WHILE THEY CALL FORTH THE GRANDEST QUALITIES OF HUMAN NATURE IN HIM LIKEWISE GAVE OCCASION FOR THE EXERCISE OF ITS MOST AMIABLE VIRTUES HE DIED AT MADRAS DECEMBER 24th 1814 It has been designated by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

as a grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

References

{{Authority control Monumental columns in England Monuments and memorials in Somerset Neoclassical architecture in England Grade II* listed buildings in South Somerset Cultural infrastructure completed in 1831 Grade II* listed monuments and memorials Listed towers in the United Kingdom