During a visit to the U.K a couple of years ago, I remember a comment Zahi Hawass made at a press conference with regards the obelisk on the Thames embankment, basically stating that if we did not clean up the monument and removed the trees around it, then it might as well be returned to Egypt, further to that, he could not understand why it was positioned there in the first place. In a visit to New York in 2014 he made a similar comment about the slightly smaller obolisk in Central Park, needless to say, neither government responded.
I can not comment on the New York obolisk, but I certainly can on the one here. After the so called 'great stink' from the river Thames, a man called Joseph Bazalgette was asked by government to create a world class sewage system, in doing so he created the wonderful Victoria Embankment Gardens, that stretched along the embankment up to the Houses of Parliament, which became very successful as a riverside corniche, where people would promenade rather than pay a penny to enter the Royal parks.
When the government finally decided to place this object, three places were chosen almost immediately outside Westminster Hall or St James Park. Being that the park is Royal grounds, it was privately understood that Queen Victoria although tolerant of other faith was not too amused about such obolisks appearing in a number of London cemeteries. (You only have to look at the 'tomb' of Hannah Courtoy in Brompton Cemetary to see how bizarre things were getting) The position at Parliament Square was rejected because the new underground District Line required the 200 ton item to be fully insured against collapsing into the tunnel.
It's final resting place became where it is today. It was at that time a very popular site to visit, infact tourist boats disembarked on either side of this great monument and then would walk along the beautiful gardens all the way to Westminter Bridge. Like today the gardens are littered with statues and busts of the good and famous of the era. One curious item to look out for is a memorial to the Imperial Camel Corps. The probable reason why it became known as Cleopatra's Neddle being that while the obelisk was held on the Thames by a boat called the Cleopatra six of the crew were killed during a storm. Of the two large bronze Sphinx either side of the obolisk, the one to the west was damaged from shrapnel during a bomb raid during the Second World War, so many believe, infact the damage occurred during the very first air raid on London at the very start of the Great War, ( First World War ).
For,.......Grandad. Welcome back to the site, hope you remain on here longer than you did before.
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P.S. Should you ever find yourself in that area, there is a very secret place very near on Savoy Hill, it is what we call a Royal Peculiar called the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy, fascinating place, and a dream of a place to visit.
That reminds me of the unfortunate error in my earlier post which should have read William Bankes’ estate at KINGSTON LACEY.....not Compton Lacey.
