Monument record TR 04 NE 66 - King Edward VII Coronation Memorial, Wye Downs

The crown was cut by students of Wye College in 1902 to mark the Coronation of Edward VII. The outline of the crown was obtained by pasting a paper shape of the crown onto the object lense of a theodolite and students, directed by hand signals, placed flags around the outline. It took four days to cut the figure which is 170 feet high and 180 feet wide. The crown was illuminated by 1500 fairy lights on the day of the Coronation. It has since been illuminated to mark the Coronations and Jubilees of George V, George VI and Elizabeth II. During the First World War the figure was used for target practice and during the Second World War it was comouflaged. Between 1991 and 1994 a programme of restoration work was carried out by students of the college.(1)

<1> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, N Bannister 1995 Wye Historic Landscape Study (Unpublished MS); study by Mark Hows, 1997, results in (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.