A PARAGRAPH which appeared in the news pages on February 14 was intriguing. It told of how the Grade-11 listed Gothic monument in Worsley, a memorial to Francis Egerton, the 1st Earl of Ellesmere, was on sale for £225,000.

The estate agent said it was the strangest sale they had ever handled, and it is understandable. Who on earth would want to buy something like that, built in 1860?

An article in the Bolton Evening News a few years ago said that it was "Worsley's forgotten monument" - and no wonder. The reporter had to "hack his way through the branches of a tree standing in the middle of the stone flags." Pushing them aside, he found steps leading to massive wooden doors.

"In the dim light I could see the paint had long since peeled off and the wrought iron hinges had practically corroded away."

The massive structure, topped by a spire, stands off Leigh Road, Worsley, screened from the road by houses, and only the top of its spire can be seen by observant passers-by

A slab dedicates the monument as "An affectionate tribute to the memory of Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere."

I understand that the surroundings of the monument have now been tidied up and fenced off, but no work has gone on to the monument itself.

Many moons ago, though, the monument was a landmark for travellers heading to Worsley Village. At Easter, it pulled Bank Holiday crowds.

Inside was a spiral staircase to the top, from where you could see six counties. Admission was free to Worsley folk, but others were charged 1d.

Yet over the years neglect began, until it fell into such a poor state that vandals were wrecking it, and gargoyles and elaborate leaf-pattern carvings which decorated it like icing were crumbling.

Some time before the Second World War, the monument was officially declared unsafe - and in May, 1939, it was reported that a 20ft. section of the column had been removed.

About a couple of decades ago, the owners of the monument, Bridgewater Estates, applied for permission to demolish the monument, which caused outrage in Worsley, and the attempt was defeated.

The 1st Earl of Ellesmere was a relative of the 3rd Duke of Bridgwater (Francis Egerton), known historically as "The Canal Duke" because of his creation of the canal system in and around Worsley.

He never married, and when he died in 1803 the manor of Worsley and all rights had to be administered by the Bridgewater Trustees on behalf of his nephew, and then for his great-nephew Francis Leveson-Gower, who under the terms of the will changed his name to Francis Egerton, and was later in 1846 raised to the peerage and became 1st Earl of Ellesmere.

The Ellesmeres lived at Worsley until about 1915, and in 1924 the 4th Earl sold the Worsley lands to the Bridgewater Estates Ltd, and the coal interests to the Bridgewater Colleries Ltd.

The present (and 6th) Earl of Ellesmere (born Francis Ronald Egerton) is better known as the 7th Duke of Sutherland.

Perhaps the family would like to buy the monument!