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So today I've been up to Keppels Column, the tallest of the 4 monuments and one that stands on the edge of the old Wentworth estate at Thorpe Hesley.
Designed by John Carr and built between 1773 - 1780, the monument stands at 115 feet on the second highest hill in the borough of Rotherham, the hill where the other monument is located - Hoober Stand, is the highest in Rotherham.
The monument was built to commemorate Admiral Keppel's acquittal after being court marshalled for a naval defeat by the hands on the French in the Battle Of Ushant.
The column was meant to be higher than it is, but due to lack of funding, this was the finished product, although, I still like it.
Above is an image from about 3 or 4 years ago, looking over the fields towards Keppels Column, with a view of the city of Sheffield in the background.
Here is todays view, the weather, as usual wasn't quite up to it, although you can hardly make out the column with all the scaffolding around. There was a few workmen on site today, and to the right of the monument is one of those cool lifts that's built onto the scaffold.
Sadly there was no one near the entrance for me to ask if I could have a look.
The column has been closed to the public since the 1960's, although the Rotherham website says for more than 2 decades lol.
I am really excited about this project, as it holds memories for me, as a kid, me and my family would walk up to this, my dad and my uncle used to climb part of the structure, this was before the houses were built around it. Great days, great memories and certainly a monument I'm looking forward to going up, once the restoration is complete.
Thanks for reading this blog, I hope you've found it interesting.
All the best.