Nelson's Column being restored in Trafalgar Square, London, UK. Nelson's Column was built to commemorate the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It was designed by the architect William Railton in 1838 and was built between 1840 and 1843. The actual statue of Lord Nelson was sculpted from sandstone by E. H. Baily. The entire monument stands at around 51.6 metres in height. Restoration began in April 2006 and ended in July that year.