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Melville Monument

Category A listed buildings in EdinburghMonumental columns in ScotlandNew Town, Edinburgh
Melville Column, St. Andrew Square geograph.org.uk 1516799
Melville Column, St. Andrew Square geograph.org.uk 1516799

The Melville Monument is a large column in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, constructed between 1821 and 1827 as a memorial to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Dundas was a dominant figure in Scottish and British politics during much of the late 18th century. Plans to construct a memorial to him began soon after his death in 1811 and were largely driven by Royal Navy officers, especially Sir William Johnstone Hope. After a successful campaign for subscriptions, construction of the monument began in 1821 but time and costs soon spiralled out of control. The project was not completed until 1827 and not paid off until 1837. From the 2010s, the monument became the subject of increasing controversy due to Dundas' legacy, especially debates over the extent of his role in legislating delays to the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. In the wake of protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the City of Edinburgh Council moved to erect a plaque on the monument to explain Dundas' legacy. Installation of the plaque was completed in October 2021. Designed by William Burn, the column is modelled after Trajan's Column in Rome. Robert Stevenson provided additional engineering advice during construction. The column is topped by a 4.2 m (14 ft) tall statue of Dundas designed by a Francis Leggatt Chantrey and carved Robert Forrest. The total height of the monument is about 45 m (150 ft). It is one of Edinburgh's most prominent landmarks.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Melville Monument (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Melville Monument
St Andrew Square, City of Edinburgh New Town

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Wikipedia: Melville MonumentContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 55.95423 ° E -3.19315 °
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Melville's Monument

St Andrew Square
EH2 2AH City of Edinburgh, New Town
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Melville Column, St. Andrew Square geograph.org.uk 1516799
Melville Column, St. Andrew Square geograph.org.uk 1516799
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