The Wellington Monument

(Filmed early on a Sunday morning before Farnborough Airfield opened.)
As of June 2020, a visit to the statue is rated by Tripadvisor as 13th-best thing to do in Aldershot.
The Wellington statue in Aldershot is a monument to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, victor at the Battle of Waterloo and later prime minister of the United Kingdom. Sculpted by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, it was the largest equestrian statue in Britain when it was unveiled at its original location on the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner in 1846.
Many thought the statue out of proportion to the arch: its architect, Decimus Burton, especially disliked it, and left money in his will for the statue's removal. Queen Victoria also regarded it as an eyesore, marring the view from Buckingham Palace; however, it could not be tactfully moved during the lifetime of the Duke of Wellington, who would have seen such a move as an insult.
In 1882-83 the arch was moved a short distance, to its present location on Hyde Park Corner; the statue of Wellington was removed and left in Green Park while its future location was debated. In 1883 the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, suggested that it should be moved to Aldershot Military Town, "where it will be highly regarded by the Army". Eventually Parliament agreed with his suggestion and the statue was taken to Aldershot for reassembly. Its removal from the arch had been a relief to the many critics who had considered it out of proportion and inappropropriate for such a location.
On a visit to Aldershot, the Prince of Wales selected Round Hill, close by the Royal Pavilion and Royal Garrison Church, as the new site for the statue. Moving Wyatt's creation from London was no mean feat. However, it was successfully and ceremoniously handed to the British Army in August 1885 in front of a large crowd of onlookers.
The statue fell into a poor condition in the latter half of the twentieth century, being largely hidden behind overgrown trees and bushes on Round Hill. In early 2004 Aldershot Garrison, supported by local conservation groups and volunteers, commenced a major restoration project to restore it to its original condition. The bushes were cleared and the statue was re-bronzed.
The Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum have taken on the role of "Friends of the Statue", supported by Aldershot Garrison, Rushmoor Council and the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership.
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