Abolition of slavery monument celebrated by people in Stroud

  • Video report by Gloucestershire Correspondent, Ken Goodwin

A monument which commemorates the abolition of slavery is being celebrated by people in Stroud.

It is said to be one of the only ones of its kind in the country.

It was built in 1834 as the grand entrance to a Georgian mansion called Farmhill, by Henry Wyatt, a wealthy local businessman associated with the Stroud Anti-Slavery Society.

The arch, with its commemorative inscription, now stands at the entrance to a housing estate in Paganhill, Stroud. Credit: ITV News Westcountry

The property was demolished in the 1930s, but the arch remains. The nearby school of Archway is named after it.

But local historians are careful to point out that while the arch is a source of pride, the abolition of slavery in itself benefited slave owners as they were paid billions in compensation, right across the former British Empire.

The inscription above the arch, commemorating the abolition of slavery. Credit: ITV News Westcountry