THE Duke of Wellington, Charles Wellesley OBE DL, was given a warm – if wet – welcome when he visited the town on Monday.

It was a special commemorative visit, organised by the town council, to mark the 200th anniversary of the first Duke of Wellington’s only visit to the town on September 28, 1819.

He and local MP Rebecca Pow were met outside the old post office by the Mayor of Wellington, Cllr Janet Lloyd, members of the town council and other local dignitaries.

These included Colin Spackman, curator of Wellington Museum, Cllr John Greenshields, chairman of Wellington Without Parish Council, Emma Jones, National Trust community fundraiser and engagement officer (Wellington Monument), Isabel Ward, chairman of Wellington in Bloom, Roger Nunn, vice-president of Wellington and District Sports Federation and chairman of Wellington Twinning Society, and students from Court Fields Community School.

A good number of members of the public also attended and they shared refreshments outside the old post office.

The party then headed to Wellington Museum where the Duke was presented with a photo album of first Duke-related items held by the museum.

The Duke was later driven to the Wellington Monument where he was given a VIP tour in the rain, led by Emma Jones from the National Trust.

Beech Grove Primary School pupils, who have been big supporters of the Monument restoration, were also present.

At the end of his visit to the Monument Cllr Lloyd presented the Duke with a customised gift – a mounted engraving of the five brass plaques which were intended to be fitted on the faces of the base of the monument at the time of its construction but were never installed.