Admiral Rodney's Pillar ( Welsh: ''Pilar Rodney'') is a monument on

Breidden Hill Breidden Hill is an extinct volcanic hill in Powys, Wales, near the town of Welshpool. It is immediately surrounded by the villages of Trewern, Middletown, Criggion, Crew Green and Llandrinio. The peak of the hill reaches to . Footpaths which ...

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. It was built in 1781–82 to commemorate the naval victories of Sir

George Brydges Rodney Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB ( bap. 13 February 1718 – 24 May 1792), was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at t ...

, Admiral of the White during the American War of Independence. The pillar is of local stone, high, and topped with a drum and finial, which replaced the original gilded ball after a lightning strike in 1847. A granite panel states that it was erected by the "Gentlemen of

Montgomeryshire , HQ= Montgomery , Government= Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974)Montgomeryshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin= , Status= , Start= , End= ...

" to commemorate the naval successes of Admiral Rodney including the Battle of the Saints. The pillar is a conspicuous landmark around the Upper

Severn Valley The Severn Valley is a rural area of the West Midlands region of England, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and runni ...

and is a

Grade II* 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 ...

listed building. An inscription in Welsh, which had disappeared by 1890, translated as ". The highest pillar will fall, the strongest towers will decay: but the fame of Sir George Brydges Rodney shall increase continually, and his good name shall never be obliterated."

Conservation

In the 21st century the monument was reported to be in need of restoration work. By late 2019, cracks had appeared in the monument and a copper lightning conductor had been stolen from its top. Restoration work was valued at £160,000. A charity group 'Save Rodney's Pillar' was formed with the purpose of raising funds to aid in the restoration of the monument. The charity estimated that up to £200,000 was needed in order to restore and preserve the monument. As of June 2022, the monument has been fenced off pending restoration work.

References

{{Authority control Grade II* listed buildings in Powys Grade II* listed monuments and memorials in Wales Monuments and memorials in Powys Buildings and structures completed in 1782

Conservation

See also

References