Gordon Monument


The Gordon Monument is a neoclassical monument to a slain warrior on the battlefield of Waterloo. The person commemorated is Lt Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon.
It was erected in 1817 by the siblings of the deceased who included a future Prime Minister, Lord Aberdeen.
The monument takes the form of a severed column, or colonne brisée to use the French term, reached by a flight of steps.
It was designed by the British architect John Buonarotti Papworth, and executed in a type of limestone known as Belgian blue stone.
The pedestal features inscriptions and reliefs including
The monument is on the boundary between two Francophone municipalities, Braine-l'Alleud and Lasne. The historic area commemorating the Battle of Waterloo is currently administered by these municipalities and Waterloo.
Other monuments of interest on the Battlefield of Waterloo include one to the King's German Legion which was erected in 1818 near the Gordon Monument.

Conservation

In the 21st century refurbishment work was carried out in advance of the 200th anniversary of the battle, including the restoration of the Gordon Monument in 2012 and the construction of an underground visitor centre near the Lion's Mound.

Heritage status

Belgium has included the battlefield on the tentative list for World Heritage status with the French title Le champ de bataille de Waterloo, la fin de l’épopée napoléonienne. The submission to UNESCO mentions the "colonne Gordon" in the description of the site.
The monument has been given a heritage listing by Wallonia, Patrimoine culturel immobilier classé de la Wallonie.