In February 1838, a group of 121 peers, Members of Parliament and others formed a committee to raise a monument to Lord Nelson, funded by public subscription. The Government agreed to provide a site in Trafalgar Square, in front of the newly completed National Gallery.
The winning entry, chosen by a sub-committee headed by the Duke of Wellington was a design by William Railton
The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by Railton at a cost of £47 000. The column was built from Dartmoor granite and the statue of Nelson was carved from Craigleith sandstone by sculptor Edward Hodges Baily.
The four bronze lions around its base, designed by Sir Edwin Landseer, were added in 1867.
The whole monument is 169 feet 3 inches tall from the bottom of the pedestal to the top of Nelson’s hat. It was refurbished in 2006 at which time it was surveyed and found to be 14 feet 6 inches shorter than previously supposed.
