In 2019, ISWE partnered with the Anglesey Column Trust on a research internship project focusing on the history of the Anglesey Column, or Tŵr Marcwis.
The Column is a Grade II*-Listed monument that stands on the rock outcrop of Craig y Dinas, on the outskirts of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, overlooking the Menai Strait. It is a landmark structure built between June 1816 and September 1817 to commemorate the role of Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, at the Battle of Waterloo. There were two construction stages; firstly, the erection of the Doric column of 91 feet (approximately 28 metres) started in June 1816 along with an attendant’s cottage. Secondly the bronze statue of the 1st Marquess added in 1860 after his death in 1854. The column was either constructed with, or later gained, an internal spiral staircase that allows access to an external viewing platform that gives ‘unrivalled views of the landscapes of North Wales’. Sadly, by 2012 the Column’s wooden stairs had decayed into an unsafe state and the whole site had to be closed to the public.
The Anglesey Column Trust was established in 2017 to coordinate the monument’s restoration. The main objectives being to repair the internal stairs to the viewing platform, construct a heritage and education centre at the foot of the structure and create more appropriate ways of access for the public, particularly those with disabilities.
Peter Crosby, an undergraduate History student, made use of archives and newspaper reports to produce a comprehensive 72-page report, outlining the initial reactions in Anglesey and Caernarfonshire to the victory at Waterloo; the local desire to commemorate Henry Paget’s role in the battle; the raising of a local subscription towards a monument; the design of the Column, its location, construction, official opening and legacy in the landscape.
The report provided a detailed historical evidence base that the Trust were able to share at community events and as part of its grant funding strategy, helping to expand the heritage significance of the site. In 2021, the Trust secured a grant of £872,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable the re-opening of the column, creation of a visitor centre, and access for disabled visitors.
Peter Crosby has since joined ISWE as a PhD researcher. His project builds on his internship work, exploring the series of commemorative structures built by public subscription in the aftermath of the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary Wars.
