Statue of Queen Anne, Minehead

The Statue of Queen Anne in Minehead, Somerset, England was built in 1719. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]

Statue of Queen Anne
LocationMinehead, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°12′19″N 3°28′44″W / 51.2053°N 3.479°W / 51.2053; -3.479
Built1719
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameStatue of Queen Anne
Designated4 July 1952[1]
Reference no.1207015
Statue of Queen Anne, Minehead is located in Somerset
Statue of Queen Anne, Minehead
Location of Statue of Queen Anne in Somerset

History

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The statue depicts Queen Anne in full court dress.[1] It was designed by Francis Bird, who had previously made a sculpture of the queen for St Paul's Cathedral,[2] after a commission by Sir Jacob Bancks the local member of parliament for Minehead.[3] Statues of the queen were a "fashionable ornament" during her reign.[4]

It was removed from its original site in St Michael's Church during restoration work in 1880. It was to have been placed in the town hall, but following a public subscription for the canopy it was re-erected at its current site in 1893.[5][6]

Architecture

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The statue is made of alabaster. The pedestal and canopy which were added by H. Dare Bryan in 1893 are of Carrara marble. Above the statue is a dentilled pediment and cornice[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Historic England. "Statue of Queen Anne (1207015)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  2. ^ Van Hensbergen, Claudine (2014). "Carving a Legacy: Public Sculpture of Queen Anne, c.1704–1712" (PDF). Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies. 37 (2): 229–244. doi:10.1111/1754-0208.12154.
  3. ^ Byford, Enid (1987). Somerset Curiosities. Dovecote Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0946159482.
  4. ^ Smith, Nicola (2017). Revival: The Royal Image and the English People (2001). Routledge. ISBN 9781351766074.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Statue of Queen Anne (1207015)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Queen Anne". Vads. Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
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