Four Trinity statues set to be replaced
Work will be carried out
Four historic statues on an Oxford college tower are set to be replaced amid structural “deterioration” and falling “concern” as plans have received the green light.
Visible from Broad Street, statues of four women have stood on Trinity College’s west tower representing the subjects of theology, law, medicine, and mathematics since shortly after its completion in 1694.
The statues currently on the tower are replicas made in the 1820s, thought to be made by the Oxford architect John Plowman, potentially from locally sourced stone from the “Windrush Valley to the west, possibly Headington freestone or Taynton/Milton stone” or Bath Stone, according to plans.
The proposal said: “After two centuries of exposure, the material of these statues has become severely weathered.”
It said the replacement is “necessary” within two to three years to “ensure public safety and protect the building fabric”.
The existing statues would be relocated within the statues and the replacements “will be crafted to replicate the existing figures as closely as possible”.
The plans describe how the new figures will be carved by “specialist masons using 3D scan data from the existing statues, assembled from stone blocks to minimise structural vulnerability, finished by hand to replicate the classical drapery and attributes of each figure”, with installation by a “carefully designed scaffolding with a lifting tower, cantilevered from the parapet beams, ensuring no damage to the Chapel façade”.
There will also be new lighting and a nine-metre-tall flagpole – three metres taller than the current pole.
The proposal said this will ensure the flags will be visible from Broad Street when flown at half-mast.
The plans conclude: “By renewing the sculptural group in durable material while retaining the established iconography, the works ensure the continued presence of this long-standing feature of the South Range and comply with both national and local heritage policy frameworks.
“The proposed lighting scheme for the statues and the Stuart Gate will further enhance their aesthetic value and add architectural interest, contributing positively to the significance.”
The plans were supported by Historic England and the Oxford Preservation Trust.
The trust said: “Being located at high level, their replacement also addresses the concern of any falling masonry.
“We are pleased that the proposals seek to ensure the existing statues dating from the 1820’s are retained and interpreted.”
An officer’s report said: “As such, the replacement of all four statues is considered to be an appropriate response, subject to conditions securing the use of careful working methods”
They added that the increased height of the flagpole would have little impact on public views but would “allow the pole to properly meet all the necessary functions relating to the display of flags” and that the new lights could “assist in the appreciation of the statues”.
On Wednesday, August 12, planning permission was given by Oxford City Council for the changes.