Summary
Composite column carrying a statue of the Prince of Wales (George II) dating from the 1720s.
Identification Images (0)
Monument Types
- COLUMN (Early 18th C - 1720 AD to 1725 AD)
Description
(1) The King's Pillar was a single composite column carrying a statue of the Prince of Wales, later George II (probably by Nost), this was designed by Vanbrugh and erected in the early 1720's. The column was knocked down in the mid nineteenth century and the statue re-erected on a mound on the site of Nelson's seat. It was finally sold in 1922.
(6) In 1724 Viscount Perceval described this statue of Queen Caroline’s consort in his robes as Prince of Wales and raised on a single Corinthian column that ‘overlooked, from a considerable height ... the Garden of Venus’. By the time Rigaud drew his view in 1733–4, it had been moved to a less prominent position among the distant trees to the left of Queen Caroline’s monument. Bearing in mind Cobham’s antagonism towards the King, this was hardly surprising.
The King’s column was dismantled soon after 1800 and not re-erected. His statue was repositioned in 1840 on the site of Nelson’s Seat (see p. 11) by the north front, and sold in 1921. It is now at Port Lympne inent. The column was rebuilt i2001? (check date) after a geophysics (resistivity) survey in 2000 (ENA2579) had accurately identified the foundations for the column. A single stone carrying part of the original inscription was built into the plinth (the stone was recovered from the garden at Stowe Home Farm).
References
- SNA64138 - Report: A Wainwright. 1989. National Trust Archaeological survey, Stowe, Thames and Chilterns region.
- SNA67448 - Photograph - black and white: Oliver Jessop. Oct 1998. Photographs taken of excavation for base of King George II, Stowe.
- SNA68348 - Report: Carol Simmonds. Aug 2019. Archaeological aerial survey of the western gardens, Stowe Landscape Gardens.
- SNA68516 - Photograph - black and white: Gary Marshall. June 2000. Black and white photo of column base from column of King George II at Stowe Gardens.
- SZM49758 - National Trust Report: Jessop O.. 2000. The King's Pillar; Archaeological investigations to locate the site of the King's Pillar, Stowe Landscape Gardens. Stowe/33.
- SZM53898 - Photograph - colour: G. Marshall. 04/01/2002. Stowe, Inscription on base from George ll column. 50cms/10cms. TSLG3470.
- SZM55077 - Slide: G. Marshall. 24/06/2002. Base of column from King George II, Stowe. TSLG3720.
- SZM57350 - Article in serial: 1977. Stowe, Buckinghamshire: The house and garden buildings and their designers. 1977.
- SZM57350 - Article in serial: 1977. Stowe, Buckinghamshire: The house and garden buildings and their designers. 1977.
- SZM57353 - Monograph: 1997. Stowe Landscape Gardens Guidebook.
- SZM57410 - Monograph: Bevington M.. 1994. Stowe - The Gardens and the Park.
- SZM6415 - Report: Angus Wainwright. 1989. The National Trust Archaeological Survey of Stowe, Buckinghamshire (Unpublished).
- SZM947 - Graphic material: J C Nattes. 1805-1809. Views of Stowe.
Designations
None Recorded
Other Statuses and References
None Recorded
Associated Events
- ENA2565 - Field Survey, Archaeological Survey of Stowe Park, Stowe Landscape Gardens
- ENA2579 - Archaeological Intervention, The King's Pillar (George II), Stowe
- ENA2641 - Field Survey, Stowe Guide Book, Stowe Landscape Gardens
Associated Finds
None Recorded
Related Records
None Recorded