Pelham's Pillar

Pelham's Pillar is a limestone observation tower rising 39 meters (128 feet) in Cabourne High Wood.It features a squared dome covered in fish-scale tiles topped by a decorative urn, with stone lions framing its entrance.

Edward James Willson designed the tower between 1840 and 1849 to commemorate Charles Anderson-Pelham, the first Earl of Yarborough.The Earl was known for his extensive tree-planting programme across his estate.

The monument displays two stone lions guarding its entrance as silent sentries.Sleeping and waking figures on high pedestals near the four-panelled door suggest themes of rest and vigilance.

The tower sits within Cabourne High Wood and can be reached by using the grid reference TA 12896 03684 to navigate to the site.Visitors who climb to the top find views toward the Humber estuary.

From the tower's summit, the first Earl could view his entire landholding spread across the horizon in every direction.This vantage point made the building a statement of his estate's vast reach.

Location: Cabourne

GPS coordinates: 53.51771,-0.29880

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:43