He’s been looked well shabby for too long now, but our council pestering correspondent Angus Young has got the latest news on Hull’s oldest statue.
The statue of King William III is undoubtedly a Hull landmark. It’s the oldest public statue in the city having originally been installed in Market Place in 1734. It’s also famous for depicting the 17th century king as a Roman senator sat astride his horse. There’s the equally famous absence of any foot stirrups in the design by Flemish sculptor Peter Sheemakers. And no story about the statue would be complete without the tale of its removal for safekeeping during the Second World War when it was taken on the back of an open lorry to Sancton near Market Weighton to avoid enemy bombing. Ghosthunters will also happily recount the spooky legend surrounding the statue which involves the old king dismounting for a stroll around the Old Town when the bells at nearby Hull Minster strike midnight.
Perhaps it’s best to gloss over the violent sectarian suppression (good idea – Ed.) which the statue originally celebrated and instead reflect on the here and now as the current story about the Grade I listed structure revolves around its crusty condition.
Anyone who has seen it recently will have noticed both William and his horse are looking rather grubby to say the least. Both should be glowing gold but the last time a coat of gilt was applied is now a distant memory with large patches of grey and black clearly visible. Responsibility for the statue rests with Hull City Council and it seems a long overdue makeover is in the pipeline now that all the prolonged dusty work on the nearby A63 is finally over.
In July last year the council hired specialist historic restoration company Lost Art to carry out a detailed condition survey of both the statue, its supporting plinth and the four cast-iron lamps added in the late 19th century. If the company’s name is familiar, it carried out the recent full restoration of Pearson Park’s entrance gates.
Now, 14 months later, the restoration project is continuing to move slowly through the gears. A council spokesperson told us: “‘Restoration of the King William III statue is part of the council’s five-year infrastructure plan, which will see many of the city’s valued monuments restored. The council is aware of its importance to the city and our residents and, just like the recently cleaned Cenotaph, we intend to undertake a thorough job to restore it to its former glory. We are currently in the process of appointing a heritage architect to advise of what works are required and how these can be undertaken in a way that is sensitive to the historic nature of the statue.”
As the five-year plan was signed off last year, we can confidently say King Billy and his horse will be back to their gleaming golden best by 2030 at the latest. Hopefully, it might even be a bit earlier than that.