Rodney's Pillar

Rodney's Pillar was erected atop Breidden Hill in 1781 by local landowners who had supplied oak, floated down the River Severn, to build Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney's ships. The monument honours the man who played a key role in expeditions against the French during the Seven Years War, 1756-1763; assisted in the capture of Martinique in 1762; and relieved Gibraltar in 1780. Rodney accounted for 15 of 21 ships-of-the-line destroyed or captured by the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence. The pillar was originally crowned with a 'golden' ball, destroyed by lightning in 1835.