In the village of Curry Rivel and standing in a field overlooking Sedgemoor, is a tall monument clad in Portland Stone and supposedly designed by capability Brown.
What is it doing here looming over Sedgemoor? What is its purpose? And what has it to do with cider, Pitt the Elder and a cow?
Commissioned in 1765, and designed and built in 1767, the column is known as the Burton Pynsent Monument and stands atop of Troy Hill. It was designed by the famous Capability Brown and built by a local builder by the name of Philip Pear. It is 140 feet high (43m) and has 179 steps to the top of the column. It cost approximately £2,000 to complete. It is now Grade 1 listed.
It was erected by William Pitt the Elder, later Earl of Chatham, in memory of Sir William Pynsent.
Sir William Pynsent, second Baronet from Urchfont in Wiltshire had married the heir to the Burton Estate in Curry Rivel. He moved from Wiltshire to live at Burton and served as Whig Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1715 until 1722.
Sir William Pynsent’s wife, only son and three daughters died before him. He lived with his surviving daughter, Leonora Ann, until her death in 1763. He was described by Emilie Isabel Wilson Barrington in her biography of Walter Bagehot (also a local man from Langport). She stated, “His manners were eccentric, his morals lay under odious imputations, but his fidelity to his political opinions were unalterable.” She was writing in 1914 however, sometime after his death.
A few days after the death of his daughter, Leonora Ann, Sir William Pynsent rewrote his will. He left his Burton estate to William Pitt the Elder. Following Sir William Pynsent’s death, Pitt immediately went to inspect the estate and took up residence in 1767. Pitt had stated that he would spend the rest of his days there if he found it “tolerable”. Following his death in 1778, his widow, Lady Chatham continued to live there until her death in 1803.
It is not known why Sir William Pynsent left his estate at Burton to William Pitt rather than his relatives. However, one explanation was that he did not approve of the proposed Cider Tax which had been supported by Lord North, the husband of his presumed heiress. The explanation was that Pitt had voted against it. It could therefore, be considered a monument to cider drinking, except that this explanation does not hold up. Sir William Pynsent’s will was dated October 1763 and Pitt had not yet opposed the Cider Tax; he did not oppose it until 1764.
What was this Cider Tax that was so hated? The Cider Tax was a proposed levy of four shillings a hogshead on cider. The Earl of Bute’s government decided in 1763 to impose the tax as a way of making some additional revenue due to the expense of the Seven Years War. In the South West of the country many farmers and others produced their own cider and so excise officers were allowed to gain access to homes and farms in order to collect the tax.
This was not well received, to say the least, and demonstrations and protests broke out, some turning disorderly. Excise men sent to gather the tax found themselves harassed whilst trying to carry out their duties. Eventually, the government backed down and the loathsome tax was repealed in 1766. Needless to say, the West Country celebrated.
Sir William Pynsent never gave a reason for the change to his will, although it was noted in The Western Flying Post in January 1765 a few days after his death, that it had resulted “solely from his being of opinion that he is a good patriot and wishes well to his country.” They were referring to William Pitt the Elder, of course.
Maybe Sir William Pynsent just didn’t really like his family. Although he had left them a sum of money each so they were not so hard done by.
When I lived here in the 1980s, there was a story of a cow which had got into the column and climbed to the top. Later versions stated that it had fallen or jumped from the top of the column. I do not remember this version of the tale and happily I have found the original news reports of the incident.
The Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser of the 28th June 1947 ran a story entitled, Heifer on 50ft Monument: Came Down 179 Steps Backwards: Surprises for Curry Rivel Farmer
Apparently, Mrs Betty of Burton Dairy Farm was surprised to see one of her heifers at the top of the monument. I bet she was. “She ran quickly up the narrow spiral staircase in the monument and, with assistance, managed to help the now frightened beast to descend backwards”.
I recall this story still being told by Mrs Betty’s descendants for years afterwards. Apparently, the staircase took some cleaning. I can imagine it did! Nowadays, in order to safeguard not just feisty young heifers but anyone else who might think about ascending the column, there is a robust metal door to prevent you.
The column has an inscription to William Pynsent which states,
Sacred to the Memory of Sir William Pynsent
Hoc Saltem Fungar Inan Munere
It’s a little worn but seems to translate to, “At least I will fulfil this duty.”
The monument is also covered in graffiti, new and old. I was particularly impressed by the graffiti which seemed impossibly high up. One name caught my eye, SAML. BETTY 1866, how did you get up there Samuel, and why? I wonder if he could be a relative of Mrs G. Betty who had the overly adventurous heifer?
A final piece of graffiti to finish with, R. Russell SCHOOLMASTER Taunton 1860, not exactly a good example to be setting is it Mr Russell?
Further reading and sources
The Great Scrumpy Crisis of 1763, Independent 16 February 1992
Heifer on 50ft Monument: Came Down 179 Steps Backwards: Surprises For Curry Rivel Farmer The Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser 28th June 1947
The Western Flying Post January 1765
https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2015/05/pitt-elders-house-burton-pynsent.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Pynsent,_2nd_Baronet
https://www.gregorystoke.org/monument
Bush, Robin Somerset Stories (The Dovecote Press, 1990)
Martyn, Miles Somerset Tales: Fact and Legend (Books of Wessex Ltd, 1978)
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