Statue of Edward VII, Bootle

The statue commemorates the Coronation of King Edward VII, which took place on 9 August 1902. Edward VII acceded to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901. In March 1902 the Member of Parliament for Bootle, Colonel Thomas Myles Sandys offered to give a statue of the king to the borough. This would be a copy of statues made for other locations by George Wade, who was a personal friend.[1][lower-alpha 1] The borough council accepted the offer, but a long negotiation took place on its location. It was finally agreed to place it in King's Gardens, on land that had been donated to the council by Lord Derby also to commemorate the coronation.[5] The statue was made in the foundry of J. W. Singer and Company, and the builder was G. Woods and Son of Bootle.[6] The statue was unveiled on 18 July 1904 by Lady Derby on the same day that King's Gardens were opened.[2] In 2010 the statue was damaged by vandals, and was repaired and restored by the National Conservation Centre in Liverpool.[2]

The statue consists of a bronze figure standing on a granite pedestal. The figure is about 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and the pedestal is about 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) in height.[6] The figure depicts Edward VII in the uniform of a field marshal, also wearing a cloak and with a crown on his head. In his left hand he is holding the orb, and cradled in his right arm is the sceptre.[5][6][7] The pedestal stands on four octagonal steps. It is square with four angular fluted pilasters. On each side are inscribed panels; the inscriptions are weathered and illegible. Above the panels is a cornice with egg and dart moulding.[5][7]

The memorial is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II listed building having been designated on 17 January 1986.[7] Grade II is the lowest of the three grades of listing and is applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest".[8]

• Listed buildings in Bootle

Notes

Citations

Sources