The pillar is of local stone, high, and topped with a drum and finial, which replaced the original gilded ball after a lightning strike in 1847. A granite panel states that it was erected by the "Gentlemen of Montgomeryshire" to commemorate the naval successes of Admiral Rodney including the Battle of the Saints. The pillar is a conspicuous landmark around the Upper Severn Valley and is a Grade II* listed building.