Column To Liberty

A lovely walk at Gibside today - a Georgian estate now run by the National Trust.

My photo is of the Column To Liberty, erected by the then owner of Gibside, George Bowes (a distant relation to the Queen Mother) and built in the 1750's.  It measures 141ft.  There is a female figure (once gilded) on top of the monument and she is holding the Staff of Maintenance and The Cap of Liberty (whatever they are) - a proclamation of George Bowes political support of the Whig Party.  My extra shows a seat with an inscription confirming this.