Bilsington Monument
Twas on our way home from Edith Nesbit's grave that Jamie suggested we stopped at this site as we were due to drive past anyway. It isn't too far from the road, just the length of a cricket field, but it was a fun run across for the dog.
Actually named the Cosway Monument, the tall memorial stands in memory of local landowner Sir William Richard Cosway and was erected by his friends and the locals in 1835. Sir Cosway was killed in a coaching accident in London, but he was an outstanding member of the community having established a school and reforms for farmworkers.
The monument is 52 feet tall and made from Kentish Ragstone. It was due to be demolished during WWII as it could be used as a landmark for enemy planes but the decision to destroy the memorial was overturned. In 1967 the stone was damaged slightly by a lightning strike but has since been restored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Charity Trust.
William Cosway was actually from Cheriton, but had purchased the Bilsington Priory Farm estate in 1825. Four years later he was knighted 'being of late secretary to Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood'. From this point onward he concerned himself with the wages of the local farmers thinking that they were vastly underpaid, and went as far as building a school to further local education.
He died in 1834 at 51 years old.
We find memorials like this fascinating as the Bilsington community felt so strongly about this man who had helped them that they raised the funds and built a memorial for him a year after his death and it has stood the test of time. We just find it amazing the impact one man made on an entire village just through kindness. He didn't even live there, he was simply a landlord, but he cared enough to make a difference and through that he's been remembered long after the village changed.
Haunted? The structure is in the middle of a field effectively in the middle of nowhere in the outskirts of Ashford. Without a doubt its haunted and you wont find us hanging around here after dark! But we didn't feel anything aside from the wind and the air of loneliness.
It's a shame we can't find out more about it, but in the grand scheme of things this is the last remnant of a bygone era for this area, and it celebrates a man who was only important to this village, so we're surprised any knowledge of the history of both man and site remain.
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images our ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
If you have any recommendations on places to visit or somewhere you would like to see on the blog, please feel free to drop us a message on instagram under @phantomadventuresuk or email us at phantomadventuresuk@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment