Stratfield Saye - Wellington Monument (Hampshire)

It would be rather unfortunate for a website devoted to Wellingtonia to omit the home of their namesake! Stratfield Saye was the home of the Duke of Wellington from 1817 until his death in 1852. Sadly, he died just before the Giant Redwoods were discovered, so he never actually saw them, but they were named after him in his honour. Nicknamed "The Iron Duke", he was a famous military and political leader in the early 1800's. As you can see from the picture, his statue stands on a huge column at the entrance to Stratfield Saye Park, along the A33. Naturally, the grounds hold many older (for England, at least) Wellingtonia, and there is a small avenue of much younger ones at the entrance to the nearby Stratfield Saye House.