One unfortunate victim of the great closures of 2020 was the Nelson Monument, a 150ft tower overlooking Edinburgh which was built in 1815 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. It’s been shut for the past four years for essential works, but soon it’s coming back in a big way.
From May, the Monument will allow visitors to once again climb its 143 steps and enjoy the free-to-enter museum at its base. But you’ll have to be quick – come September doors will close once again to complete renovation works, will a full-scale reopening scheduled for some time in 2025.
One part of the structure which has been in need of some TLC is the time ball, which is not, as it may sound, something which gives Edinburgers the ability to warp and twist the concept of time. In its heyday (the mid nineteenth century) the large sphere was hoisted up to the top of the tower at 1pm every day as a signal of the hour to incoming ships.
Val Walker, who works for City of Edinburgh Council's culture board, said the council was ‘excited’ to finally see the landmark reopen to the public. She explained: ‘We’re looking to reopen the monument from May this year. It will operate for the summer months while a new mast is built and the time ball mechanism fully refurbished and a new automated system created.
‘The monument will then close again around late September for the installation of the refurbished time ball and new mast.’
Walker clarified that ‘installation will take some three weeks however this will be weather-dependent so exact timings may change’.
For the exact dates and times that the Nelson Monument will open, head over to the Edinburgh museums website.
Love a good museum?
The Nelson Monument may not be open just yet, but fret not. We’ve got a guide to Edinburgh’s best museums, so you won’t be caught short. If you’re in the mood for only the best of the best, why not check out one of out top museums in the country? We’ve even got a list of the most exciting immersive museums in Britain, if you want something a little different.
Did you see that these five UK museums have been nominated for Museum of the Year 2024?
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