AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Rising 110 feet above the Somerset Levels on Windmill Hill, the Admiral Hood Monument is one of England's most striking commemorative columns — a Doric masterpiece designed to rival Trajan's Column in Rome, erected by the admiral's own shipmates to honour a man they called the finest officer of his age.↗↗
Completed in 1831 and Grade II* listed, the column is hidden among hilltop trees so that it reveals itself dramatically as you approach — and the views from its base sweep across the flatlands to Glastonbury Tor on one side and the Mendip Hills beyond the Somerset Levels on the other.↗↗
The Admiral Behind the Column
Vice Admiral Sir Samuel Hood (1762–1814) was born at nearby Butleigh into an old Dorset family that produced several naval heroes. He first went to sea as a midshipman in 1741 and rose through a distinguished career to become Vice Admiral of the White, earning his greatest fame at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. As captain of HMS Zealous, he led the daring attack at Aboukir Bay that destroyed most of the French fleet and established Nelson's legendary victory.