R  o  c  k  b  o  u  r  n  e







Close to Rockbourne in the private grounds of West Park near the western Hampshire border, you will find an excavated Roman Villa, and this column dedicated to the memory of Irish born, Sir Eyre Coote the famous Indian Army general.


Sir Eyre Coote
The column was erected in 1827 to the joint memory of both him and his nephew (also called Sir Eyre Coote, and also a general) by the widow of the latter, in conjunction with The East India Company.





It stands one hundred foot tall, ( 30 metres ) and has the obligatory viewing platform at the top along with a decorated urn to finish the whole affair off. The original cost of the structure was £4000, a large sum of money at the time, and the plaque at the foot of the column has its letters cast from a French cannon that was melted down, after being captured by the general. Sir Eyre finally dying in Madras, India in 1783. He is buried in the family tomb in the Rockbourne church.


West Park House
West Park was bought in 1770 by Sir Eyre Coote and stayed within the family until the 1920's when it was sold, although rumour has it that it was nearly lost in a card game, by yet another Sir Eyre Coote, at the turn of the twentieth century. The house, which was to the north of the column, close to the Roman villa, was eventually burnt down in 1943 whilst it was being used by the American army for wartime purposes.

Visiting:-
The column is not available for visiting, but the best view of it is obtained from a road that runs north from Sandleheath cross-roads, about half a mile onwards from West Park Farm.

Co-Ords: 411731 116330 / SU 117163  

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