It’s been quite a few weeks since I last posted a photo of the dear old monument on Easby Moor to Great Ayton’s favourite son.
Over the years, it’s been through its trials and tribulations.
The originally one was made of wood and erected in 1827 but it caught fire and was replaced by the stone obelisk. By 1895, this was in need of restoration although it was ‘not held in very high esteem‘1‘Middlesbrough Town Council. | York Herald | Wednesday 11 December 1895 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000500/18951211/032/0005> [accessed 9 August 2022]. At this time, the tablet on it was replaced and the old one offered to Middlesbrough Town Council but they considered it ‘not suitable‘ and ‘of no more value than scrap iron‘.
Lightning has long been a hazard and the monument has been struck several times: 19442Newspaper Cuttings: Great Ayton News. 4 August 1945. <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/newspapers/Tom-Kirby-Newspaper-Cuttings-News.pdf>, 19583Photographs. Page 20. Ref. 0aha00nd.jpg <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/photographs/0aha_Photo_Full.pdf>, 19604Ayton Happenings. Past Village Events in Pictures. Edited by Malcolm Race and produced for the Millennium in aid of Parish Church funds., and again in 19685Photographs. Page 21. Ref. 0aha00vx.jpg <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/photographs/0aha_Photo_Full.pdf>, although a lightning conductor had been fitted in 19606Ayton Happenings. Past Village Events in Pictures. Edited by Malcolm Race and produced for the Millennium in aid of Parish Church funds..
- 1‘Middlesbrough Town Council. | York Herald | Wednesday 11 December 1895 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000500/18951211/032/0005> [accessed 9 August 2022]
- 2Newspaper Cuttings: Great Ayton News. 4 August 1945. <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/newspapers/Tom-Kirby-Newspaper-Cuttings-News.pdf>
- 3Photographs. Page 20. Ref. 0aha00nd.jpg <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/photographs/0aha_Photo_Full.pdf>
- 4Ayton Happenings. Past Village Events in Pictures. Edited by Malcolm Race and produced for the Millennium in aid of Parish Church funds.
- 5Photographs. Page 21. Ref. 0aha00vx.jpg <http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local–files/photographs/0aha_Photo_Full.pdf>
- 6Ayton Happenings. Past Village Events in Pictures. Edited by Malcolm Race and produced for the Millennium in aid of Parish Church funds.
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