Choragic Monument
The Choragic Monument is the first feature you see when you enter the Gardens in the valley. Based on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, it is a memorial to Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, without whom the Alton Towers we know today wouldn't exist. It was the 15th Earl who first turned his attention to the estate in the early 1800s and was responsible for transforming the barren landscape into the magnificent house, park and gardens we know today.
At the centre of the structure is a bust of the Earl, sculpted by Peter Hollins. Below is the inscription "He Made the Desert Smile", in reference to his vision, which turned this barren valley covered with rabbit warrens into the stunning gardens we see today.
Heritage
The monument was one of the first additions added to the garden by the 16th Earl, in tribute to his uncle.
The cast-iron temple was cast at the Britannia Foundry in Derby in 1829 and was subsequently installed at Alton Towers in the following years. The foundry was also responsible for many of the cast iron vases that can be found throughout the Gardens.
The bust of the Earl is by Peter Hollins, who is thought to be responsible for a lot of the bespoke statuary found around the estate.
Then and Now
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Today the flower bed in front of the Choragic Monument is laid out with box hedge in the shape of the letter S, a monogram in honour of the Earl of Shrewsbury. This is based on a design that was once used in this bed during the 1800s, though in the original version, the gravel would have been swapped out for grog, a similar material that was a by-product of the local pottery industry.
Whilst the design has been consistent in recent years, this bed has frequently been redesigned over the year. In this postcard, sent in 1906, we can see a more artistic design that was in use during the time of the 20th Earl.
