Beneath your feet lie echoes of millennia. The Brentford Monument stands as a silent witness to Brentford’s rich and storied past.
This Peterhead granite column isn’t just a marker. It is a chronicle etched in stone. The Brentford Monument commemorates pivotal events that shaped not only Brentford but also England itself.
Originally part of Brentford Bridge, the granite drums that make up this monument once supported lamps. These lamps illuminated the path across the Grand Union Canal and River Brent. When the bridge was widened in 1900, Montagu Sharpe, a local antiquarian, had the vision to repurpose these drums. He transformed them into a monument. It would remind generations to come of Brentford’s significance.
Unveiled in 1909 at Ferry Point, the Brentford Monument initially marked the presumed site of the ancient ford across the Thames. The Duke of Northumberland himself presided over the ceremony. Montagu Sharpe regaled the crowd with tales of Julius Caesar’s movements in Brentford. He was even presented with a silver-mounted casket crafted from ancient stakes retrieved from the Thames.
The Brentford Monument’s panels narrate four key historical moments. In 54 BC, British tribesmen under Cassivellaunus bravely opposed Julius Caesar at this ancient fortified ford. In 780-1 AD, Offa, King of Mercia, held a council of the church nearby. Then in 1016 AD, Edmund Ironside, King of England, drove Cnut and his defeated Danes across the Thames. Finally, in 1642 AD, the Battle of Brentford raged close by between the forces of King Charles I and Parliament.
But the Brentford Monument itself has a history of its own. During the 1930s, Ferry Wharf became a coal storage site. The Brentford Monument suffered neglect and risked being obscured. A relocation was sought, but war intervened. In 1955, Varley Pumps and Engineering Ltd. stepped in to rescue the Brentford Monument. They provided a new alcove for it in their boundary wall.
By the 1980s, the Brentford Monument was again fading into obscurity. But as the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Brentford approached, a campaign arose. It was a campaign to move it to a more prominent location. In 1992, the Brentford Monument was moved to its present site. It now stands proudly on the High Street, outside the County Court.
However, this relocation wasn’t without its drawbacks. The Brentford Monument lost part of its base. Its panels became misaligned. Yet, despite these imperfections, the Brentford Monument remains a powerful symbol. It connects us to the sweep of history that has unfolded on this very ground.
So, as you stand before the Brentford Monument, take a moment. Reflect on the echoes of Roman legions. Think about the clash of Saxon armies. Consider the turmoil of civil war. This stone has stood witness to it all. The Brentford Monument is a reminder that history is not just something we read about. It is something we stand upon.