Lord Hill's Column 3.04

Lord Hill's Column, outside the Shirehall, is one of the most notable landmarks of the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The tallest Doric column in England, standing at 133ft, it commemorates Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill, with a 17ft tall statue standing on the top of the column - the column is shorter than the 44.5m 'Monument to British Liberty' at Gibside, but the overall height of the column and statue is higher in total. The column was built between 1814 and 1816; its diameter is 2ft wider than Nelson's Column, and, not including the pedestal, is 15ft higher.The architect was Edward Haycock Snr, with modifications mainly to the pedestal by Thomas Harrison. The pedestal is square with a pier of buttress at each angle, on which are placed recumbent lions, worked of Grinshill stone by John Carline of Shrewsbury. The statue of Lord Hill was modelled in Lithodipyra by Joseph Panzetta who worked for Eleanor Coade.The first stone was laid on 27December 1814 by the Salopian Lodge of Free Masons assisted by deputies from adjoining lodges, on the festival of St. John the Evangelist. The last stone was laid on 18 June 1816, the first anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The total expense was 5,972 pounds, 13 shillings and 2 pence .