Sutherland Monument

The Lilleshall Monument stands 21 metres high on Lilleshall Hill above the village of Lilleshall in Shropshire. It is an ashlar obelisk on a square plinth with a stepped base, built in 1833 to honour George Leveson-Gower, the first Duke of Sutherland. The Duke’s tenants raised £933.15s to pay for its construction. Originally four stone animals guarded the corners: two lions and two griffins. A violent thunderstorm damaged them and they were later removed. The monument carries two inscribed tablets. On the south face is a quote from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, spoken by Cardinal Wolsey: “Let all the ends thou aimest at be thy country’s, thy God’s and truth’s.” This line was added in 2013 after the previous inscription was stolen nearly forty years earlier. The north face tablet praises the Duke as “the most just and generous of landlords” and records that his tenants blessed him at his death. Visitors find a clear path up the hill to the monument. The stepped base and square plinth give the obelisk solidity. The surrounding Shropshire countryside stretches away in wide views. The Grade II listing recognises the monument’s historic importance. Only the two tablets and the empty plinth corners remain of the original design.