Thomson Monument
Obelisk Kelso Borders

Thomson Monument

Obelisk In Kelso, Borders

An obelisk commerating playwright and poet James Thomson, who also penned the words to Rule, Britannia.

Did you know who wrote the lyrics to Rule, Britannia? You're about to find out.

This obelisk on a small rise is a monument to James Thomson who was born in 1700 at Ednam near Kelso and the monument sits in between the two.

Thomson was a poet and playwright with his two best known works being The Castle of Indolence and The Seasons, credited as being the forerunner of the Romantic Movement in poetry. And as mentioned above he is also credited with the authorship of the lyrics of “Rule, Britannia!”

Slightly tricky to get to as not much parking nearby. But if you walk from Kelso (2.5km away) or get dropped off, then the entrance to the monument is on the east side.

Head to ///glades.thickens.seat on What3Words and look out for a fingerpost pointing the way.

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We were on a mega tour of the borders, so for this one we sent Red5 drone up to have a look.

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How To Find Thomson Monument

Where Is Thomson Monument?

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Lat / Long

55.619381, -2.422609

What three words

prowl.owls.take

Where To Park For Thomson Monument?

Bit of a tricky one to get to as there is not any parking nearby. It's only a 25 min from Kelso, so pack yourself a Mars Bar and have a little trek from there instead.

Contributed by Simon Hawkins

Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue Pele tower up a remote hill or a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.

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Simon Hawkins

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