Monument Tour
Thank you for visiting the Anne Lister Monument! Below are answers to commonly asked questions and a behind the scene look at how the build came together.
THE SHAPE
The monument, when viewed from the upper monolith and looking down is in the shape of a "W", representing formidable women everywhere past, present and future.
THE MONOLITHS
The stone used for the three monoliths was generously donated by Traditional Stone, located in Horbury Bridge, Wakefield.
The monolith was one large stone, cut into three. The lower monoliths were cut in half and are book-ended.
The stone used for the wall above and below the benches was donated by local carver and dry stone waller, Simon Lumb.
THE CARVINGS
Numerous carvings are found throughout the monument. The carvings found on the monoliths were carved by Antonella Tiazzo.
The wagon wheel embodies many things, including Anne's love of travel and the importance of a life lived in constant motion. The wagon wheel carving also features branches of an oak tree in winter, without leaves.
The pocket watch is an ode to Anne's obsession with time and her detailed recording of the passage of time in her journals. The pocket watch carving features branches of an oak tree in summer, complete with unfurled leaves.
The coded diary quote, on the upper monolith, is an excerpt from one of Anne's journals. The translation is below the quote, as is a carved heart with Anne Lister and Ann Walkers' initials. The heart and initials were carved by Simon Lumb.
The funeral hatch is carved on the front of the center monolith, reclaiming the idea that Anne was a spinster, or an unmarried woman, upon her death. As is well recorded Anne did marry, but it was married to Ann Walker which was not recognized at the time.
THE WALL
The wall that creates the space within and around the monument was built using traditional dry stone walling techniques. The wall below the benches acts as a retaining wall, the benches double as throughstones, and the wall on top of the benches rises out of the earth creating a space that is both open but intimate. The wall is completed with two different styles of cope stones.
THE BENCHES
The benches are cantilevered out of the wall to create a place to visitors to sit, think, and contemplate within the monument. The benches are more than just for sitting, they act as through stones, tying the two sides of the drystone wall together.
The benches are also where the maker or builders mark was incorporated as well as a date stone and some images from the homebody window from the hall.
