Gordon Monument

The Gordon Monument is a neoclassical monument to a slain warrior on the battlefield of Waterloo. The person commemorated is Lt Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon (1786–1815).[1] It was erected in 1817 by the siblings of the deceased who included a future Prime Minister, Lord Aberdeen.

This article is about the monument in Belgium. For the similarly named monument in Scotland, see Duke of Gordon's Monument.
The Gordon Monument close to the N5 road

The monument takes the form of a severed column, or colonne brisée to use the French term, reached by a flight of steps. It was designed by the British architect John Buonarotti Papworth,[2] and executed in a type of limestone known as Belgian blue stone (French: pierre bleue).

The pedestal features inscriptions and reliefs including

Location
Related monuments: Monument to the Hanoverians (1818) on the left, Lion's Mound (1820s), Gordon Monument

The monument is on the boundary between two Francophone municipalities, Braine-l'Alleud and Lasne. The historic area commemorating the Battle of Waterloo is currently administered by these municipalities and Waterloo.

Other monuments of interest on the Battlefield of Waterloo include one to the King's German Legion (Monument aux Hanovriens) which was erected in 1818 near the Gordon Monument.

Conservation

In the 21st century refurbishment work was carried out in advance of the 200th anniversary of the battle, including the restoration of the Gordon Monument in 2012 and the construction of an underground visitor centre near the Lion's Mound.[3]

Heritage status

Belgium has included the battlefield on the tentative list for World Heritage status with the French title Le champ de bataille de Waterloo, la fin de l’épopée napoléonienne. The submission to UNESCO mentions the "colonne Gordon" in the description of the site.[4]

The monument has been given a heritage listing by Wallonia, Patrimoine culturel immobilier classé de la Wallonie.

  • Column.
  • Top of the column.
  • Ornament (acroterion).
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See also

There are also monuments of interest commemorating the Battle of Quatre Bras.[5]

References
  1. "Gordon Monument". www.tracesof war.com. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  2. Cates, A. (2008, January 03). Papworth, John Buonarotti (1775–1847), architect and designer. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. Retrieved 14 Mar. 2019 (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  3. "The Waterloo Battlefield CONSERVATION PROJECT".
  4. "Tentative List – Belgium". unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. Muilwijk, Erwin (6 July 2013). "Monuments at Quatre Bras (1815)". Retrieved 18 August 2014.


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