The Nelson Monument, tall on a granite base, stands on Portsdown Hill about north of

Portsmouth Harbour Portsmouth Harbour is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it ...

on the south coast of England. It was the eventual outcome of a movement started during

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought a ...

's lifetime to "perpetuate the glorious victories of the British Navy". By 1799 Nelson's prize agent

Alexander Davison Alexander Davison (1750–1829) was an English businessman and government contractor. He was a contemporary and close friend of Admiral Lord Nelson. Life Davison was born on 2 April 1750 at a farm in Lanton, Northumberland. His business care ...

was able to use the Nelson name to spearhead a campaign to honour "Britain's naval glory and pre-eminence". It was, however, Nelson's death at Trafalgar, 21 October 1805, that galvanized the campaign. A design for the monument by John Thomas Groves of the Board of Works was exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

in 1807, The monument is modelled on the Aksum Stele,

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

: Groves was inspired by the findings in Aksum of Henry Salt who visited Ethiopia in 1805. However, letters were written to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' asking where the money Davison had raised had gone, but the £4050 he raised was never recovered. The final (and successful) attempt was paid for by the Navy itself. This time the fund's driving force, Captain Thomas Fremantle, adopted a more altruistic approach, and the monument commenced construction on 4 July 1807 with the final checks to the inscription made just over a year later. The monument was rebuilt in 1899, but the bust is the original. The monument still serves as a navigation mark, used in compass corrections. File:Nelson's Monument Ports Down, dedication. JPG.jpg, Dedication File:Nelson's Monument Ports Down, history.jpg, Information board File:Nelson's Monument, top, Ports Down.jpg, Summit, with bust of Nelson Although very near the town of

Fareham Fareham ( ) is a market town at the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour, between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton in south east Hampshire, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Fareham. It was historically an important manufac ...

, the monument falls within the boundary of Winchester City Council. The adjacent Fort Nelson, Portsmouth, completed in 1871 as another

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

threatened England's south coast, is so named because of its proximity to the monument.

Notes

{{coord, 50, 51, 38, N, 1, 08, 03, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=inline,title Monuments and memorials in Hampshire Military monuments in Hampshire Monuments and memorials to Horatio Nelson Victory steles