Old Mills, Moat

Explorer Tom Breidden Hill rises from the Severn plain with a stone column on top that Tom first took for a giant's misplaced chess piece. Rodney's Pillar is very real. It has watched over this border country since the eighteenth century, while the paths through Breidden Forest provide a fine climb towards it. The hill lies near Welshpool, between the River Severn floodplain and the road towards Shrewsbury. Public paths cross woodland and open ground to the summit. The pillar was erected in 1781–82 for Admiral George Brydges Rodney, a naval commander celebrated in his own lifetime and criticised by some contemporaries for his pursuit of personal gain. Cadw notes that the original gilded ball on its top was replaced after a lightning strike in 1847. Tom would have asked the lightning to pay for repairs, but it has never been a reliable customer. The monument is made of local Breidden stone. Its height and exposed position make it visible from far across the Upper Severn Valley; from the top you can look back over the same broad landscape. A local charity has worked to preserve it, and repairs have been needed to address cracks in the structure. The hill is reached by public rights of way, with a car park in the forest. Paths may be steep, muddy or slippery, and any fence or repair notice around the pillar must be respected. You can enjoy the view without touching the monument. Take water and stout shoes, then give the memorial a second look: it tells a story about how a nation chose its heroes, as well as where it put a very tall column.