The Nelson monument
The bronze monument was unveiled at Exchange Flags Square, behind Liverpool Town Hall, in October 1813. It was designed by Matthew Coates Wyatt (1777-1862) and sculpted by (Sir) Richard Westmacott (1775-1856).
Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) was killed while leading the English navy to victory against French Napoleonic forces at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The monument was Liverpool’s first major public sculpture and commemorates Nelson as a great English hero.
To Liverpool merchants the defeat of the French meant that they could once again trade internationally in peace. The four prisoners on the statue represent captured sailors in torment from Nelson’s four greatest triumphs. About 4000 French prisoners of war were held in Liverpool during the Napoleonic Wars.
Update: if you find a hose, you are at the wrong side...