In the early 1860s it was proposed that a monument should be erected to William Tyndale, the man who in 1526 produced the first printed edition of the New Testament in English. His aim was that it could be read by everyday people in their own tongue. This was forbidden by the Church, and Tyndale was executed for heresy in 1536. The foundation stone of his monument was laid in May 1863 and ever since the monument has been a landmark for travellers on Gloucestershire’s quiet byroads or, more recently, the swarming lanes of the M5 motorway.
The residents of North Nibley believed that Tyndale was born in their village in around 1484, and that the monument should be built on the hill called Nibley Knoll which overlooked the settlement. But others steadfastly maintained that Tyndale should be commemorated on nearby Stinchcombe Hill, which location also claimed links to the Tyndale family. Whilst the dispute continued, subscriptions to the fund to finance the tower were slow to arrive, with both sides encouraging their supporters not to contribute until the site was finalised in their favour.
In 1861 it was suggested that the ‘division of feeling’ might render the project ‘tame and impotent’. But eventually it was agreed that the monument would be built on Nibley Knoll, and the organisers were confident that subscriptions would then ‘flow in’. This wasn’t to be, and when the foundation stone was laid in May 1863 there was still only £800 of the required £1,500 in the bank.
The ceremony to lay the foundation stone was carried out with great pomp, with bands accompanying the dignitaries up to the tower and the local paper reckoning that a crowd of 10,000 was present. There were hymns, psalms, prayers, speeches and votes of thanks and the Hon. F.W.F. Berkeley M.P. laid the foundation stone with the obligatory commemorative silver trowel.
A ‘leaden box’ containing a bible and a scroll in a bottle was originally laid in a recesss below the foundation stone, but as the tower began to gain height the work was found to be unsatisfactory, and it was pulled down and rebuilt. The current whereabouts of that bible are unknown, but Wotton-under-Edge museum has copies of the bibles presented to the men who built the tower.
The architect appointed to design the monument, in the form of a prospect tower, was Samuel Sanders Teulon of London. This was presumably on Lord Ducie’s recommendation, as Teulon had designed his new home, Tortworth Court, a few years previously. The contractor was Mr Jackson of Uley, and Dr Antonio Salviati of Venice was commissioned to create a ‘large mosaic cross’ as the finial.
In November 1866 Lord Ducie performed the inauguration of the monument, and there was a final appeal for donations to clear the remaining shortfall of £300. The finished tower stands 111 feet high, excluding the cross, and a roundel above the door carries the inscription:
ERECTED A.D. 1866
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF
WILLIAM TYNDALE
TRANSLATOR OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE
WHO FIRST CAUSED THE NEW TESTAMENT
TO BE PRINTED IN THE MOTHER TONGUE
OF HIS COUNTRYMEN
BORN NEAR THIS SPOT HE SUFFERED
MARTYRDOM AT VILVORDE IN
FLANDERS ON OCT 6TH 1536
The monument became a popular destination for ramblers and picknickers who could admire the vast panorama over the Bristol Channel into Wales. In the 1930s one visitor wrote that the garage proprietor in North Nibley kept the ‘great nine-inch key to this stone column, and for threepence he will let you have the loan of it’. Although not impressed by the design, the writer Malachi Whitaker walked up to the ‘grim-looking monument, commemorating Tyndale, the man who did something to the Bible, which I have ungratefully forgotten’ and admired the prospect of hills and valleys and a ‘perfect evening sky’.
Barbara Jones, never one to repress her true thoughts, called the monument ‘an unspeakably ugly sleazily tapering stone tower’ (Follies & Grottoes, 1974). The Flâneuse rather likes it, and it was worth the steep and muddy climb to the plateau on which the tower stands on a wild and windy day.
There’s not space here to go into the life and work of William Tyndale, but there’s an excellent account on the North Nibley website if you would like to know more. The website also has directions to the monument, which is only accessible on foot. The door is open and you can climb to the top to appreciate the view.
If you visit the tower (grade II*) don’t miss the opportunity to visit the lovely little Wotton-under-Edge Heritage Centre. As well as a fascinating local history collection there are currently displays featuring Isaac Pitman (1813-1897), who invented shorthand in the town, and poet and writer Sophie Gaudier-Brzeska (1872-1925), who lived in the town for a few years from 1916.
As it was a dull January day when the Flâneuse visited the monument, here is Sophie Gaudier-Brzeska’s Landscape with Houses and Sun to bring a little cheer.
There are plans to celebrate the quincentenary of Tyndale’s achievement (1526-2026) and you can read more on the Tyndale Society website.
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