Council to hire fundraiser for £500k statue replacement

A £500,000 plan to replace Shrewsbury’s landmark Lord Hill statue is set to take a step forward as Shropshire Council begins the hunt for an expert fundraiser to pull together the money.

The statue, which has stood atop the Column in front of Shirehall for more than 200 years, was condemned in 2019 following the latest in a string of repair projects to patch up weather damage.

As the Column is Grade II listed, a like-for-like Coade stone replica will need to be crafted in order to satisfy Historic England.

The council now wants to enlist a “specialist” consultant to lead the huge fundraising drive, on a £15,000 contract.

A tender invite issued by the authority says the work will be of “national importance and interest”.

The successful consultant will be asked to draw up a fundraising strategy, business case and campaign strategy.

They will be tasked with raising the money through a range of possible income streams, including attracting donations, organising fundraising initiatives and applying for grants.

The tender document says: “Unfortunately, the statue of Lord Hill is now deteriorating and requires replacement.

“Historic England requires that it be replaced using the same techniques as the original.

“It is understood that the deterioration in the condition of the statue is partially the result of its exposed position, but significantly, despite this exposure, it is also reckoned that it is possible that the stone was not fired to the consistently high temperature necessary.

“With modern firing equipment this defect can be avoided.

“Past repairs carried out over a long period of time have, until recent decades, been unsympathetic, and have exacerbated the statue’s deterioration.”

It adds: “The announcement that Shropshire Council is planning to vacate and sell its current Shirehall headquarters from autumn 2023 will enable exploration of ‘place-making’ opportunities in the area round the Column, which forms a striking ‘gateway’ to Shrewsbury from the east.”

The Column is the tallest Doric column in England, standing at 40.7m (133ft 6in), topped by the 5.2m (17ft) statue of Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill of Almaraz and Hawkstone.

The Column was erected between 1814 and 1816 and was designed by 22 year old Edward Haycock, a member of a Shrewsbury family of architects.

The statue was made in Lambeth, London at the manufactory run by Eleanor Coade. Designed by Joseph Panzetta it is one of, if not the largest single statue ever made by her firm.

It was set up in September 1816.