Alternative Names Greenside; Calton Hill, Off Regent Road, Nelson's Monument
Site type COMMEMORATIVE MONUMENT
Canmore ID 52378
Site Number NT27SE 348
NGR NT 26252 74107
Council EDINBURGH, CITY OF
Parish EDINBURGH (EDINBURGH, CITY OF)
Former Region LOTHIAN
Former District CITY OF EDINBURGH
Former County MIDLOTHIAN

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Architectural Notes

NT27SE 348 26252 74107

Information from a catalogue slip:
Architect: Robert Burn, (Father of William Burn) begun 1807

NMRS REFERENCE
See Historical File (1.12)

REFERENCE
PLANS:
City Architects Plan Store, drawers Nos. 85 and 91 contains:-
1. Original Plan and Elevation (to which reference already made) of "screen wall and apartments around Nelson's Monument on the Calton Hill". Scale 10 feet to 1 inch. daed 13th May 1814 and signed Thomas Bonnar. Also signed by John Dickson as referring to his estimate "fore furnishing Nelson's Monument".
2.Tracings of December 1855 shewing a New Roof, scale 1" to 1foot. Section of Tower shewing timbers etc., scale 1" to 1 foot. The alterations made in erecting the time ball.
3. Contract Plan shewing Turnstiles at Entrance, scale 2 1/2" to 10 feet, Public Works Office 1886.
4. Block Plan shewing line of Drawin 1898.
5. Tracing to plan shewing new kitchen and bathroom alterations to caretaker's house. City Architects Department 1937.

There are NMRS reproductions of Nos. 1,2 and 5 above see EDD/27/1-3

REFERENCE:
Hugh Cairncross (Robert Burn, Archt)
Edinburgh. Nelson Monument. Specification, 1808
(Edinburgh Evening Courant, July 28, 1808)

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Notes and Activities

1997 to January 2010

PROJECT

Notes The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010.
The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Further details

4 April 2001

FIELD VISIT

Project Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Edinburgh

Notes The monument, a circular tower with windows, resembles an upturned telescope. On the top is a ball and cross-trees, and a parapet with castellations. The base is castellated with gothic style windows. Above the main door is a carved relief of the ship 'San Josef', and the above inscription below.
The original design of the monument was by Alexander Nasmyth, but this was rejected as being too expensive. The commission was passed to Robert Burn and the foundation stone was laid on 21 October 1807, the second anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1814-16 the base was enclosed in a five-sided structure by Thomas Bonnar (to Burn's design). The carving of the San Josef was added at this time.
Francis H. Groome in his Gazeteer calls the monument 'one of the ugliest monuments in Edinburgh - the curious butter-churn structure by which public taste saw fit to perpetrate the memory of Lord Nelson.' (1)
Commemorates Admiral Lord Nelson and the battle of Trafalgar.
The San Josef was a Spanish man of war and the flagship of the Spanish admiral Don Josef de Cordova at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. In this battle Nelson captured the ship and the admiral was killed.
In 1852 a time signal was installed: a ball at the top of the monument which is dropped at twelve noon G.M.T. (one o'clock p.m. in the summer, in conjunction with the gun being fired at Edinburgh Castle). This is to give a signal of the correct time, to the ships in the Forth.
Inspected By : Emma Retson
Inscriptions : Above main door, on top plaque (incised letters):
TO THE MEMORY OF / VICE ADMIRAL / HORATIO LORD VISCOUNT NELSON, / AND OF THE GREAT VICTORY OF TRAFALGAR, / TOO DEARLY PURCHASED WITH HIS BLOOD, / THE GRATEFUL CITIZENS OF EDINBURGH / HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT: / NOT TO EXPRESS THEIR UNAVAILING SORROW FOR HIS DEATH; / NOR YET TO CELEBRATE THE MATCHLESS GLORIES OF HIS LIFE; BUT BY HIS NOBLE EXAMPLE, TO TEACH THEIR SONS / TO EMULATE WHAT THEY ADMIRE, AND, LIKE HIM, WHEN DUTY REQUIRES IT, / TO DIE FOR THEIR COUNTRY
On bottom plaque (incised letters):
A.D.MDCCCV. [1805, the date of the Battle of Trafalgar]
Signatures : None Visible
Design period : 1807 (monument) / 1814-1816 (base added)
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0469)


Further details

6 May 2002

FIELD VISIT

Project Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Edinburgh

Notes Bust of Horatio Nelson in naval uniform.
Inspected By : AA. Campbell
Inscriptions : None
Signatures : None
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0471)


Further details

31 May 2002

FIELD VISIT

Project Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Edinburgh

Notes Cast relief (in plaster) of ships, with painted details of sea, ship, cannon, sails and flags of Saint George, including union jack in top left corner. Ship set into plaster frame painted as walls.
Inscriptions : Central relief (lower case lettering painted gold and black):
England expects every man this day will do this duty.
Signatures : None
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0470)


Further details

Books and References

Batty, Lieut-Colonel (1831) Select views of the principal cities of Europe: Edinburgh, (pt. 4) London
Page(s): 3rd of 6 engravings in book - no page nos Held at RCAHMS D.8.31.BAT.R

Hunter, W (1806) The new picture of Edinburgh, being an accurate guide to the city and environs with historical descriptive accounts of the public buildings, offices, institutions, curiosities, amusements, etc., Edinburgh
Page(s): p.203 woodcut vignette - 'Lord Nelson's Monument' Held at RCAHMS D.8.31.PIC.R

RCAHMS (1951) The Royal Commission on the Ancient Monuments of Scotland. An inventory of the ancient and historical monuments of the city of Edinburgh with the thirteenth report of the Commission, Edinburgh
Page(s): 213, No. 148 Held at RCAHMS A.1.1.INV/13

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