Obelisk is a Grade II listed building in the County Durham local planning authority area, England. First listed on 19 February 1970. Obelisk.

Obelisk

WRENN ID
sleeping-kitchen-heron
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
County Durham
Constituency
City of Durham MP: Mary Kelly Foy (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
19 February 1970
Type
Obelisk
Address
Obelisk, Obelisk Lane, City of Durham
OS grid reference
NZ 267 430
Coordinates
54.78139, -1.58605
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The obelisk, built in 1850, serves as an observation point and is constructed from sandstone ashlar. It is a very tall and slender structure featuring three openings on its south face. The obelisk stands on a high panelled base with a cornice and has steps leading down to a small opening at the foot on the north side. The south face is inscribed with the latitude, longitude, angle of dip, and height above sea level. Additionally, there is a Latin inscription on the base that reads: W I W/ASTRONOMIAE/DICAVIT/MDCCCL.

Local climate

Obelisk receives an average of 790 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 58% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 96% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 41 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 79% of listed buildings. Of these, 24 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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