Let's bring those regal beasts back (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Let's bring those regal beasts back

PAINT is peeling off the walls and a pungent smell of moth balls tickles the nostrils, but in the darkness of the old railway station building in Cirencester, lies an ornamental piece of local history, waiting for someone to unravel its story.

In a small corner of the deserted building, surrounded by towering furniture and old office equipment, is what looks like a long tail and a elaborate crown made of old rope. As a torch explores the shadows further it becomes clear that this is a lost treasure of Cirencester, a patriotic symbol, and one which local traders want once again to stand proud in the Market Place.

It is a lion, unicorn and a crown creation, representing the royal crest, painstakingly designed and made in Cirencester to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.

Peter Stringfellow, president of Cirencester Chamber of Commerce, wants the town to help undertake its restoration.

This is something that we think might be an appropriate way of celebrating the Golden Jubilee in June, he said.

But it is currently in a bad state of repair and needs to be assessed, he added. Within reason, the Chamber of Commerce will help pay to restore it. We could also raise funds in the town or through sponsors. I am sure people will contribute.

The crest was commissioned by Cirencester Urban District Council, and architect Oliver Hill, then of Daneway House in Sapperton, was given the title of designer and project manager.

On the day of the coronation, hundreds of revellers waved union jacks and admired the centre-piece made of rope and wire. It stood, at over 7ft tall, near to the parish church. Since then, the figurines have travelled as far as London, had several owners and seen their beautifully crafted exterior diminish over time.

Life after the coronation meant a dull existence in storage inside the old brewery buildings for the next 24 years.

But the building was inadequate and liable to flooding, so the Museums Service, on behalf of what had become Cotswold District Council, assumed responsibility and transferred the crest to the Corinium Museum in 1977.

Here it was once again projected into the royal limelight in celebration of the Queens silver jubilee.

But parts had become infested by this stage and the crown had to be disposed of. Between 1977 and 1994, the lion and the unicorn were on a permanent loan to Daneway House. Here they were stored and displayed in agreement with the tenant, Sir Antony Denny.

During this time, in 1989, the figurines had a grand appearance at an exhibition in the Royal Institute of British Architects Heinz Gallery in London.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1989, they were loaned to Arlington Mill Museum in Bibury for a temporary exhibition, in the care of the late David Verey.

Daneway House was sold in 1994 and a new home was needed.

By this time, Lucy Abel-Smith, of Quenington, had become quite passionate about the unique artwork and added a new twist to events.

Nobody in the Cotswolds wanted to re-house the lion and the unicorn and she could not bear to see them thrown in a skip.

After much persuasion by David Viner, current chairman of Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Association, Lucy saved the figures from an destruction by taking them home to the Old Rectory in Quenington in 1996.

It was in a tangled mess, she explained. The rope was coming away, wire was sticking out and they were falling apart.

With the help of a local saddler, Garry Reid, Lucy set about breathing new life into the lion and the unicorn.

We had to find the right sort of rope. I got in touch with a Stuart Grainger, a member of the Ropemakers Guild, who gave us invaluable advice.

Hundreds of pounds was spent on the figures and Stuart, amazingly, re-created the crown - the most important missing piece.

People gave a lot of time and effort. There was a lot of interest in it, said Lucy. There are also many people alive today that were involved in the making of the originals.

Its important for people to renew their interest today because its a very rare piece from the 1950s.

It sums up the verve and optimism that greeted the Queen when she came to the thrown. Over the years, the Old Rectory has hosted a popular fresh air exhibition of sculptures and other pieces of art.

Eventually the lion and the unicorn were restored to their former glory and they proudly sat in the grounds during the exhibition as people milled around admiring the craftmanship.

Eventually, Cotswold District Council found a permanent home for the crest in the Old Station Building in Cirencester, where it has been since the late 1990s.

The crest barely resembles the photographs in the history books as time has slowly sucked away its graceful beauty.

Now it is up to the local people to decide whether to inject new life into this historic work of art and see it stand in its rightful place, looking down on the celebratory faces of golden jubilee revellers in the centre of Cirencester.

* Can you help? Perhaps you are a craftsman who could help repair the sculpture. Or you might want to donate funds to aid the restoration. Contact Peter Stringfellow at Cirencester Chamber of Commerce on 01285 656050.

If you have any memories or photographs the coronation or silver jubilee that you would like to share with thisiscirencester readers, contact us through our Letters section.

More on this story can be found in the March/April edition of Cirencester Now, brought to you in association with the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard.