The Union flag will be removed from a grade-I listed building, the Penshaw Monument in Wearside. More formally known as the Earl of Durham’s Monument, the 70ft replica of a Greek temple is a well-known landmark in the North East of England.
The charity said that the flag had been attached without permission, and that it had decided to remove it. A National Trust spokesperson said: “A flag which has been attached to the Grade-I listed Penshaw Monument will be removed, as will anything that’s attached to historic buildings without permission. We will assess whether any damage has been caused to the monument, which is an important part of our shared local and national heritage.”
When the flag initially went up, a Facebook user said “It looks brilliant, a sight we all welcome when we are coming home!”
However, some commented that it was “upside down”, to which the same user said “it’s obvious it was done in the dark”.
Completed in 1985, it was constructed to commemorate John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, and has been in the National Trust’s ownership since 1939.
Penshaw is one of many monuments and buildings to be adorned with national flags, as the “Raise the Colours” campaign sweeps the country.
It has had mixed receptions in local communities, with flags raised in central Manchester in August met with reports to police that the men erected the flags were “harassing” passersby.
Similarly, Union and St Georges flags were placed on lampposts across Birmingham after the City Council decided to remove others for safety reasons.
Last month, Conservative MP Robert Jenrick accused Tower Hamlets Council of “absurd national loathing” after they ordered the removal of England flags from lampposts across the borough.
The campaign even attracted the attention of X owner, the American billionaire Elon Musk, who posted a St. George’s Cross to his profile last month.