85 Monuments to Explore in United Kingdom

This is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart, professor of moral philosophy at the University of Edinburgh from 1786 until his death. The monument was situated on Calton Hill overlooking the city of Edinburgh and was built in 1831 to the design of architect William Playfair, who modelled his design on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens.

The Duke of Gordon's Monument is a commemorative monument on Lady Hill near Elgin, Scotland. Built in honour of George Gordon, the 5th Duke of Gordon, the monument takes the form of a Tuscan column, 80 feet high, and 6 feet 9 inches wide at the base. The column is hollow, with a spiral staircase leading up the shaft which gives access to the top. It was erected in 1839, and a statue of Gordon, sculpted by Thomas Goodwillie, was installed on the top in 1855. It is designated as a Category A liste

Dunston Staiths on the River Tyne is believed to be the largest timber structure in Europe, at its height, 5.5m tonnes of coal a year was taken by rail from the Durham coalfields and loaded from the staiths onto ships waiting on the river, which transported coal around the British Isles and Internationally. Today, this magnificent feat of architecture stands as a tribute to the ambition of British engineers during the Victorian period.

Durrington Walls is the site of a large Neolithic settlement and later henge enclosure located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in England. It lies 2 miles north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury. The henge is the second-largest Late Neolithic palisaded enclosure known in the United Kingdom, after Hindwell in Wales.

This 500 years old monument lies in a steep sided valley between Quoys and Rackwick on the island of Hoy. A huge block of hollowed-out red sandstone measuring about 8.5 metres long, the Dwarfie Stane is thought to be Britain’s only example of a rock-cut tomb. It should be stressed, however, that not all archaeologists share this opinion. The stone is a glacial erratic located in desolate peatland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is a recumbent stone circle – a monument type only found in north-east Scotland. It has a large stone set on its side and flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west part of the circle. The circle is particularly notable for its builders' use of polychromy in the stones, with the reddish ones situated on the SSW side and the grey ones opposite. The discovery of a possible cist covered by a capstone at the centre of the circle indicates that th

The obelisk is a monument to various distinguished members of the Somers Cocks family. This prominant 90ft monument is visible for miles around and carries four inscriptions.

The Finnieston Crane is a giant cantilever crane that is no longer operational. The crane was commissioned in 1928 and was used for loading cargo, in particular steam locomotives, onto ships to be exported around the world. The Finnieston Crane is one of the four such cranes on the River Clyde and one of the the only eleven giant cantilever cranes remaining worldwide.

Named after King George III, George Square is surrounded by architecturally important buildings. It is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, and one of the six squares in the city center. The square has a collection of important statues and monuments, and it is the venue for musical events, light shows, ceremonies, sporting celebrations, political gatherings etc..

Glasgow Green is the oldest park of Glasgow City. Located in the middle of the city, it contians a number of monuments, fountains and other recreational spaces.

Officially opened in 1833, the Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery. 50,000 individuals are buried here. The cemetery is the burial place of many notable Scotish individuals.

Govan Old Parish Church was the parish church of Govan district from 6th century untill 2007. The church is no longer used for regular sunday services but it still has daily morning services and open for visitors in the afternoon. The church has an internationally significant collection of early medieval sculpture known as Govan Stones.

Grey's Monument is a prominent landmark in the centre of Newcastle. It was built in 1838 to commemorate Charles Earl Grey and the reforms he achieved. The statue of Grey stands on a 134 ft. stone column. The monument has a viewing balcony accessed via a spiral staircase with 164 steps inside the column.

Greyfriars Kirkyard is the historic graveyard surrounding the Greyfriars Kirk church, dating to the 1500s, and is rumoured to be among the most haunted graveyards in the world. The parish and graveyard are named for the defunct Franciscan friary on the site whose friars wore grey habits. The graveyard has seen many historic events take place within its grounds and is the site of not only historic resting places but heart-warming tales and bone-chilling ghost stories.

Constructed in 1858, Holmwood House is the finest and most elaborate residential villa designed by the Scottish architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson. The villa retains much of its original interior decor and it may have been influenced the works of many othor proto-modernist architects.

The Hopetoun Monument is in the Garleton Hills, near Camptoun. It is 95ft (29m) tall and is situated on the summit of Byres Hill 560ft . The monument was erected in memory of John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun (1765-1823). The monument is often referred to as the Garleton Monument or the "Galla Monument" by locals, after Garleton Farm on Byres Hill.

This beautiful monument stands as one of the greatest symbols of where the Industrial Revolution started. Tourists have flocked here since 1779 to marvel at this extraordinary structure that dominates the small town that takes its name. Today it is closed to vehicle traffic but you can walk across it and enjoy the lovely views of the Severn Gorge. An exhibition within the original Tollhouse explains how and why the bridge was built.

Kit's Coty House and its neighbor, Little Kit's Coty House, are the remains of two megalithic 'dolmen' burial chambers. Kit's Coty is the larger of the two monuments, with three uprights and a massive capstone, while the smaller, Little Kit's Coty, is now a jumble of sarsens. Archaeologists have established that the monument was built by pastoralist communities shortly after the introduction of agriculture to Britain from continental Europe.

Lacock Abbey is a country house with monastic roots and Britain's birthplace of photography. It is set in spacious wooded grounds, with plenty of space to picnic, and is now recognizable from films varying from Pride and Prejudice to Harry Potter. It was home to the Fox Talbot family. In the early 19th century, polymath William Henry Fox Talbot invented the photographic negative, a cornerstone in the rise of photography as both an art and a popular hobby.