In January and February 1844, an invitation to tender for the monument's construction was placed in the "Durham Chronicle" and "Newcastle Courant" newspapers. The deadline to submit tenders was initially 15 February, but was later extended to 1 March. By 15 March the builder Thomas Pratt of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, had been awarded the contract; little is known about him. By March, operations to clear the ground at the site had begun; an invitation to tender for the transportation of the stone from the quarry to Penshaw Hill appeared in the "Durham Chronicle" on 29 March. By May, a trench for the monument's foundations had been dug.