Rodney's Pillar

Admiral Rodney's Pillar (Welsh: Pilar Rodney) is a monument on Breidden Hill in Powys, Wales. It was built in 1781–82 to commemorate the naval victories of Sir George Brydges Rodney, Admiral of the White during the American War of Independence. The pillar is of local stone, 54 feet (16 m) high, and topped with a drum and finial, which replaced the original gilded ball after a lightning strike in 1847. A granite panel states that it was erected by the "Gentlemen of Montgomeryshire" to commemorate the naval successes of Admiral Rodney including the Battle of the Saints. The pillar is a conspicuous landmark around the Upper Severn Valley and is a Grade II* listed structure. An inscription in Welsh, which had disappeared by 1890, translated as "RODNEY'S PILLAR. The highest pillar will fall, the strongest towers will decay: but the fame of Sir George Brydges Rodney shall increase continually, and his good name shall never be obliterated."