… for lunch and an afternoon stroll around Powis Castle gardens
The statue is placed in a formally empty niche adjacent to the South West Door on the West Front of the 800 year-old cathedral.
The new statue marks Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee – the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne in 1952 – and pays tribute to her long life of faithful service and duty to her country and to the Commonwealth.
An expert architectural carver and stone mason, Richard has been a member of York Minster’s renowned Stoneyard team since 2011. Richard’s design depicts the Sovereign in her Garter robes with the orb and sceptre, the symbols of her office as Head of Church and State and wearing the George IV State Diadem. Richard’s initial concept design has been developed in close consultation with York’s Fabric Advisory Committee and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England who recently gave their permission for the principle of the statue under the Care of Cathedrals Measure, the legal framework against which all major changes to cathedral buildings are considered.
The statue will be carved from a block of Lepine stone – the French stone that has previously been used for figurative carvings on the Minster as well as the restoration of the West Window in 2000. Once completed, the statue will stand two metres tall and will weigh nearly two tonnes. Richard will begin carving the statue in the Minster’s Stoneyard later this year and it will be installed in its niche in the autumn of 2022.
Richard said: “There have been several challenges to overcome with this project in terms of the design. First and foremost I have to complement the magnificent medieval façade of the Minster. The statue needs to be part of the fabric, not a distraction from it, yet it also has to have the poise and presence befitting of the Queen’s unique role as Head of Church and State. The figure is posed to form a protective gesture around the orb and sceptre, while Her Majesty’s gaze is aligned across the proposed Queen Elizabeth Square, the principal approach to York Minster. She will stand proud and resolute in her niche, welcoming worshippers and visitors alike”.
The Dean of York said: “We are delighted to be marking Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and to give thanks for a life of dedication to this nation and the Commonwealth. We are incredibly proud that the statue has been designed and will be carved by one of our own masons which is testament to the incredible craft skills we have here in our Stoneyard.
Comments Off CherryPie on May 13th 2023
The weather was glorious so we visited Hampton Court in Hope Under Dinmore, Herefordshire. We had lunch in the orangery where I chose a Coronation Chicken sandwich before taking a guided tour of the castle. After the castle tour we enjoyed a walk around the gardens which are currently between seasons. The maze and its hidden surprise were as enjoyable as ever and we were surprised to learn of a hidden feature next to the waterfall in the sunken garden. We enjoyed watching young children find their way behind the waterfall, get as near to the (low) edge as they dared so that they could get a soaking from the waterfall. We were sure that one of them was going to step backwards over the edge, but thankfully he didn’t.
We had hoped to walk along the river which would have enabled me to complete one of my Coronation related walking challenges but unfortunately, we realised that we had forgotten to get an all-important ingredient for our evening meal. This meant that we didn’t have enough time to complete the walk before the shops closed.
This means we will have to go back soon to walk along the river which we have not quite managed on any of our visits. By then the gardens should be starting to bloom again.
10 Comments CherryPie on May 8th 2023
…All ready to watch the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Later we cooked a celebratory evening meal for family. A fine time was had by all.
Comments Off CherryPie on May 7th 2023
On May bank holiday Saturday, a last-minute decision led us to visit Caernarfon Castle. We had initially intended to have lunch in Caernarfon but as we travelled along the A55 we remembered my recent purchase, a book called ‘The Extra Mile’, which leads the traveller of the motorway and bland service station catering to nearby independent cafes and farm shops. Our journey was a last-minute decision so I didn’t pick the book up as we left but I remembered the book has a website. From there we were able to find the delightful Betty Berkins coffee shop which is situated near Holywell in the middle of nowhere.
The coffee shop looked rather small from the outside, but like ‘The Tardis’ it is bigger on the inside! We knew it was going to be good when we were asked if we had booked. We were seated on a cosy table by a window and when the food arrived, we weren’t disappointed. Comfortably replete we re-joined the A55 and continued on our journey to Caernarfon.
We enjoyed the newly installed viewing platform (the reason for our visit), which allows disabled access to the roof area and the spectacular views that can be seen from that height. Despite the easy access we did encounter one of the very narrow spiral staircases that I remembered from our previous visit, many years ago. Not a pleasant experience for me, it was a bit like looking down off the top of a cliff.
Feet firmly back at ground level we enjoyed a refreshing alfresco drink in the afternoon sunshine. The hawk display added to our experience as we watching it fly backwards and forwards, sometimes settling on the low roof above us. On one occasion, much to the surprise of its handler the hawk deciding to land on the head of someone near to him.
We then visited The Royal Welsh Fusilier Museum which is situated within two towers within the castle. The museum is very informative and we spent a longer time than expected, causing us to rush the later parts of the museum before it closed for the day.
We set off home via the scenic route through Snowdonia, intending to stop off for an evening meal on the way home. The timings didn’t quite work which led to us dining in our local Miller & Carter instead.
4 Comments CherryPie on May 5th 2023
