WELLINGTON Monument has been visited by the Duke of Wellington for the first time since it was built to mark 200 years since the foundation stone was laid.

The current Duke climbed to the top inside the monument to see the view out across Somerset and switched on the lights which illuminated the monument over the weekend to celebrate the bicentenary. The monument was built to mark the success of his predecessor at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The visit was the start of a weekend of celebrations which included a performance telling the history of the monument.

The Duke was joined by dignitaries and champions from the local community, including descendants of some of the local people who have played their parts in the history of the monument.

These included William Sanford, whose great-great-great-grandfather, William Sanford of Nynehead Court, led the initiative in 1817 to mark the Duke’s success in the Battle of Waterloo with a monument on his land; and Derek Johnson, whose family greeted many visitors for over 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries as they were the keepers of the keys and lived at Monument Farm.

For the full story and more pictures see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.