David Castleton (Author)<p>Stoodley Pike, near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. The pike was initially erected as "a peace monument" to celebrate the end of the Napoleonic Wars. However, the hilltop monument was destroyed by lightning on February 8th, 1854. This was the very day the Russian ambassador left London prior to Britain joining Crimean War. The Halifax Guardian pronounced it "an evil omen" that this monument to peace should tumble on the eve of a fresh conflict. A new monument was built to mark the restoration of peace in 1856. The new pike was positioned a little way back from the edge of the hill and a lightning conductor was later installed. There may have been a structure on the site even before the first monument was built. <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/history" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>history</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/architecture" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>architecture</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/peace" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>peace</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/war" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>war</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/psychogeography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>psychogeography</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/Yorkshire" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Yorkshire</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/folklore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>folklore</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/weird" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>weird</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/gothic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gothic</span></a></p>