Lord Hill's Column

I was feeling a little dizzy by the time I got to the top.
And, for some reason, as I climbed, I had the children’s rhyme going through my head: Round and round the garden like a teddy bear, one step, two step, tickle you under there!
Blood-sugar levels playing up, no doubt. Thinking about gardens and teddy bears when I should have been thinking about - well, loftier things.
But, yeah, as you climb up the spiral steps - 172 of them - to reach the top of Lord Hill’s Column, you’re definitely going round and round and round and round.
I had the chance to visit on Friday and, for the first time in my life, to climb this superb Shrewsbury landmark and enjoy the spectacular views from the top.
It really is quite a monument.
Built between 1814 and 1816 at the expense of the people of Shropshire, the column was constructed to honour a giant of a man and a local hero: General Rowland Hill, Lord Hill of Hawkstone and Almaraz, who was the Duke of Wellington’s most trusted general in the Peninsular War and at the Battle of Waterloo.
History records that his sincere concern for the wellbeing of the soldiers under his command was evident. The troops actually nicknamed him Daddy Hill.
Not only was Hill a highly-distinguished soldier but he also later became MP for Shrewsbury.
As most Shrewsbury school children were taught for generations, the column is the tallest Greek doric column in England. Another feather in Shrewsbury’s cap.
The panoramic views from the top are indeed wonderful although I was just as impressed by the swirling elegance of the staircase with its fine cast iron banister.
This year is a big year for the big man. It’s anniversary time!
Hill (1772-1842) is being placed firmly in the spotlight by Shropshire Council this summer to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and to emphasise Shropshire’s links with that history-changing conflict.
An online visitor trail and guide to Shropshire’s links with Lord Hill and The Battle of Waterloo with a list of events has just been launched on Shropshire Council’s website – shropshire.gov.uk.
Lord Hill came from a long line of Shropshire landowners and lived at Hardwicke Grange near Hadnall, to the north of Shrewsbury.  His military career was very distinguished and he achieved the rank of Commander-in-Chief during Wellington’s time as Prime Minister.
Several notable portraits of him were painted, and some of these will be able to be seen at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shropshire Regimental Museum, St Chad’s Church, and Weston Park near Shifnal, at various times over the next few weeks leading up to the actual anniversary of Waterloo on June 18.
There are, by the way, plenty of other opportunities to climb Lord Hill’s Column over the coming months, although booking should be made in advance as places are limited and tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The charge is £5 per person and all money raised goes towards the restoration of the monument.
Dates for public opening are: May 25, June 13, July 8, August 16, Bank Holiday Monday on August 31, September 13 and October 3.
Happy climbing!

Phil Gillam’s gentle novel of family life, Shrewsbury Station Just After Six, is available from Pengwern Books, Fish Street, Shrewsbury, and from Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.