The landmark monument to Earl Grey in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Grey's Monument is a Grade I-listed monument in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It stands at a height of 133 ft (41 m) at the junction of Grey, Grainger and Blackett Streets. Built in 1838, it serves as a tribute to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. The monument also honors the Great Reform Act of 1832, one of Grey's most important legislative achievements, which reorganised the system of parliamentary constituencies and increased the number of those eligible to vote. The pedestrianised area around the base is a popular meeting place and is used as a speakers' corner.

Earl Grey represented Northumberland in Parliament from the age of 22. He was made First Lord of the Admiralty in 1806 and later Leader of the House of Commons. In 1830 he was invited to form a government and became Prime Minister. It was during his time as prime minister that he passed the Reform Act of 1832, which brought about constituency reform and extended the right to vote. Grey's Monument was constructed when Grey was still alive and had retired from politics.

Grey's Monument was first proposed by the Newcastle-based architect, John Green, in 1832. Green had envisioned a statue in Northumberland Square, North Shields, depicting Grey in parliamentary robes, holding the Magna Carta. However, the location was changed to central Newcastle as part of a local improvement plan. The statue atop the column, created by sculptor Edward Hodges Baily, is made out of Portland stone and was originally coated in wax to protect it against the weather. The column was designed by local architect Benjamin Green in a Roman Doric style. The creation of the monument was funded via public subscription.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons