Collingwood Monument

The Collingwood Monument stands in Tynemouth, North Tyneside, overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne. It is a Grade II* listed monument dedicated to Vice Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood, a Napoleonic-era admiral who served as second-in-command to Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Collingwood is sometimes called the forgotten hero of Trafalgar for his leadership after Nelson’s death. The monument’s base was designed by John Dobson, and the statue was sculpted by John Graham Lough. It was funded by public subscription and positioned to be visible from the Tyne. Collingwood’s career began at age 12 when he joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer. He served in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars, earning three Naval Gold Medals. At Trafalgar, he took command after Nelson’s death and completed their shared battle plans. For his service, he received a £2,000 annual pension, a promotion to Vice-Admiral of the Red, and a peerage as Baron Collingwood. He died of cancer in 1810 and was buried beside Nelson in St Paul’s Cathedral. The monument features a high plinth with a statue of Collingwood in his Royal Navy uniform, cloak draped over one shoulder. Four cannons from his flagship, HMS Royal Sovereign, flank the steps leading to the base. The plinth has slit openings and a rear door, with an inscription honouring his memory. The design includes side walls beside the steps, and the statue’s left hand rests on a rope-wrapped bollard. The cannons were added in 1849, four years after the monument’s completion. The site overlooks the Tyne and remains a prominent landmark in Tynemouth.