Boatswain's Monument 30 Metres North East Of Newstead Abbey

Boatswain's Monument is a Grade II* listed memorial in the gardens of Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, raised in memory of a dog. It stands about 30 metres north-east of the abbey building, in the parish of Newstead in the Gedling district, and it is one of the most unusual monuments tied to the poet Lord Byron.

Who was Boatswain?

Boatswain was a Newfoundland dog and a favourite companion of George Gordon Byron, the Romantic poet who inherited Newstead Abbey. The dog contracted rabies and died in November 1808. According to the accounts that survive, Byron stayed by the animal during the illness and nursed it without fear of being bitten, despite the danger of infection.

What does the monument look like?

The memorial takes the form of a large funerary monument with a tomb beneath it, placed in the abbey garden. Byron had it built around 1808–1809, and Historic England records it as a listed funerary monument. Its scale is striking for an animal grave: it is closer to the tomb of a nobleman than to a pet burial, and that contrast was exactly the point.

The epitaph

The monument carries the verse known as "Epitaph to a Dog", written by Byron in 1808. The poem sets the loyalty of a dog against the failings of people, and it is among the best-known animal poems in English. The short dedication that opens the inscription is often assumed to be Byron's own, but it was written by his friend John Hobhouse.

A tomb meant for two

According to surviving accounts, Byron intended to be laid to rest beside his dog. That never happened: he died in Greece in 1824 and was buried in the family vault at Hucknall, not at Newstead.

Why visit?

• It is a quirky piece of literary history, linking Byron's private life to the estate he loved.
• It sits inside the grounds of Newstead Abbey, so it combines well with a walk through the gardens and a visit to the abbey itself.
• The inscription is easy to read and makes a good photo stop.
• A statue of Byron in London, erected in 1880, shows the poet with Boatswain at his side, which shows how closely the two are linked in memory.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the monument dedicated to? To Boatswain, Lord Byron's Newfoundland dog, who died in 1808.

Who wrote the epitaph? Byron wrote "Epitaph to a Dog"; the opening dedication lines were written by John Hobhouse.

Is Byron buried here? No. Byron was buried in the family vault at Hucknall.

Where exactly is it? In the garden of Newstead Abbey, roughly 30 metres north-east of the abbey, in Newstead near Gedling, Nottinghamshire.

Is it protected? Yes, it is Grade II* listed, which places it among the more significant listed structures in England.