Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2014 | Page 29

FEATURE

The Hoy Monument
Guest writer Mark Fox begins a new series
looking at different places of interest,
some not so well known, on the Island.
He starts near the 'Pepperpot'.

I

first came across the Hoy Monument over 30 years
ago when I was walking with my parents across St.
Catherine’s Down up to St. Catherine’s Oratory, or
as we know it better the ‘Pepperpot’ – the second
oldest lighthouse in the country.
This area of the Island is ideal for walking, picnicking,
riding and jogging. Recently when I was walking there
with my own family we watched as people para-glided
off from the top of the Downs.
The Monument was erected in 1814 to
commemorate a visit by the Tsar Alexander I. Although
visible for miles around it is only accessible by foot,
but is well worth the effort. Close to it is an imposing
structure 72ft high and made of local stone. It is also
set in some of the most beautiful countryside the
Island has to offer. There are far reaching views out to
6 At its base there is a plaque
sea and across the Island.
erected in 1857 marking the sacrifice of soldiers killed
in the Crimean War.
Although Michael Hoy, who erected the Monument,
lived locally at nearby Hermitage, he was in fact
a Russian. He wanted to mark with gratitude the
country that had enabled him to prosper, with an
acknowledgement of what the Tsar had done to help
defeat Napoleon and his pan-European ambitions.
In his day Hoy, who lived from 1758 to 1828, was a
notable Island and City of London figure. In 1812 he
was made a Sheriff of the City, and locally he owned
much property and over 1,700 acres. The Tsar visited
Portsmouth, but never made it to the Island so never
saw the distinctive mark of respect and admiration.
The monument is owned and maintained by Chale

Parish Council. It was restored in 1992 at a cost of
£85,000, which was donated. As a reminder though
that things are constantly evolving and views and
attitudes changing an inscription at the base of the
column reads: ‘In Honour of those brave men of the
Allied Armies who fell on the Alma at Inkermann and
at the siege of Sevastopol AD 1857.’
This was placed by William Dawes who rented the
Hermitage after Hoy’s death. He was an active Army
officer and felt passionately that Britain’s role should
be appropriately marked.
The Monument is a testament to a fascinating
period in British history. It reminds us that individuals
can leave enduring ‘footprints’ on the land in which
they live and work. Hoy bequeathed to posterity a
landmark that continues to challenge and provoke us
into remembering and learning about what was going
on at the time in which he lived, and to reflect on his
motivation and actions.

5

PHOTOS:
1. The Hoy Monument.
2. The view from the monument.
3. The plaque marking the sacrifice of soldiers in the
Crimean War.
4. The monument commemorates a visit by the
Russian Tsar.
5. An aerial view of the location.
6. The nearby St. Catherine's Oratory, 'the Pepperpot'.

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