Building record 0420802004 - WOLFE'S OBELISK, Deer Park, Stowe Landscape Gardens

Detailed description (B4).
Brief description in c.1862 (B5).
Description & location plan (B7).
Grade I. Tall ashlar stone obelisk on pedestal, probably formed c1760 from Vanbrugh's "guglio" of 1722 located in the centre of the Octagan Lake to the south of house. Not owned by Stowe School (B14).
Wolf's Obelisk is situated in what was open parkland from the 18th-19th centuries. Previous to that it was part of the open field system for the villages of Dadford and Stowe (ridge and furrow). A plan from 1739 shows the first substantial remodeling of this area of the landscape with five reactangular blocks of trees framing the vista of the Stowe Ridings to the north. The obelisk was built in 1754 surrounded by the trees and dedicated to General Wolf after his battles in Quebec in 1761. The trees were modifed into eight clumps to represent the eight regiments of the battle. Further alterations to plantings had occurred by 1843 and again in the 1880s. Close by is shallow depression which has been interpreted as a deer pond and also a bomb crater from WWII, but is most likely to be the earth excavated to form the mound on which the Obelisk sits. The Obleisk itself began life as a fountain in the centre of the Octagonal Lake and was designed by John Vanburgh. It was 70ft high and had alternating bands of rusticated decoration. It was dismantled in the 1754, moved to this area of the park and the rusticated bands were changed to smooth ashlar. The first recorded repair was in 1805. An archaeological survey carried out in August 2001 included a geophysical survey of the nearby area and an excavation around the foundations. The mound was found to consist of grey clay in a single operation on top of a raft of broken brick, tile, and Westmoreland roofing slate. Limestone blocks were used to form the foundation (B18).
A watching brief carried out duirng tree planting confirmed that the layer of mortar, brick and stone fragments was laid over the reduced soil level after the topsoil had been removed. After the obelisk had been constructed, the mound was built up around it and the rubble layer was sealed (B19).
The interim report of the National Trust's excavation around the obelisk gives the following interpretation of the monuments construction. The foundations were built in a single operation between 1755-60. The base was leveled with the surviving ridge and furrow by constructing a raft of broken brick, tile, Westmoreland roofing slate, mortar and clay. The deposit ends 6m from the fouundations and at a radius of 8m from the centre of the obelisk. Monolithic Helmdon limestone blocks were used to form the solid masonry of the foundations, 4 x 4m in area and 1.3m high. The external face was slightly battered and roughly faced. A thick spread of creamy mortar was found covering the first 3 m of the lower courses of the foundation. The Obelisk was then constructed re-using the stone blocks from the 'guglio' from the Octagon Lake. The mound of thick, heavy compacted clay was heaped aroudn the foundations to creta a flat are 3-4m wide which gradually taped to the level of the surrounding field. At the base of the mound a single course of re-used architectural stone was set within the top of the mound forming a low step. One re-deposited sherd of medieval pottery was found during excavation (B20).
Trial trenching and watching brief carried out by Northamptonshire Archaeology during restoration work from April to August 2002 confirmed that the mound was artificially created by mounding soil around the foundations of the obelisk and recorded stonework, at least 2 pieces of which were probably from the Guglio, re-used in the body of the obelisk. See report for detail (B24).
Included in English Heritage's Buildings at Risk Registers. In 1999 described as priority B: 'Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; solution agreed but not yet implemented'. In 2001described as priority D: 'Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented'. In 2002 described as priority F: 'Repair scheme in progress' (B37-39).