Anglesey Column, a Brief History
The column was designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo which took place on June 18th 1815. The building of the 27 meter tower commenced a year later in 1816 and was finished in 1817. It is built of limestone quarried locally from Moelfre quarry.
On the foundation stone there is an inscription in English, Welsh and Latin:
“The inhabitants of the counties of Anglesey and Caernarvon have erected this column in grateful commemoration of the distinguished military achievements of their countryman HENRY WILLIAM, MARQUESS OF ANGLESEY the leader of the British Cavalry in Spain throughout the arduous Campaign of 1807 and Second in Command of the Armies confederated against France at the memorable battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June 1815. Thomas Harrison Architect.“
It was not until 1860 that the Paget family added the 3.5 meter brass statute of William Henry Paget, the first Marquess of Anglesey, to a plinth at the top of the fabulous landmark.
The Column was listed grade II as a building of special interest in 1952 – its designation was lifted to grade II* in 1992.
Due to the deteriorating condition of the Anglesey Column it was closed to the public in March 2012. In 2017, the 200th year of the column’s existence, a charity, the Anglesey Column Trust, was set up to look into the possibility of repairing and re-opening the column. Close to £1.4 million was raised, with the majority being from The National Lottery Heritage Fund plus donations from local charities and general fund raising. The results are impressive, the column has a new staircase and a general makeover, the original tiny cottage has been extended to provide a cafe, toilets and information centre with nature trails in the grounds.
Logging Requirements
To log this virtual cache please simply post a photo from GZ of you or your geocaching name with the column in the background or for the more energetic from the top of the column.
Please note this virtual cache is only available when the column is open
The column is open to the general public from Wednesday to Sunday:
October to March from 10am to 4pm
April to September from 9am to 5pm
There is a charge to climb the column, for prices and to check opening times click on the link Anglesey Column.
We would like to thank Delyth Jones-Williams, Column Manager and the Anglesey Column Trust for permission to place this virtual cache in the column grounds.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.