An organisation dedicated to one of the most famous English poets of the 19th century has been given a grant of £230,280 to rescue a memorial statue.
The Byron Society, which promotes research into the works and life of Lord Byron, received the grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to rescue the National Byron Memorial Statue.
The cash injection will fund the society’s project to relocate the Grade II Listed memorial from a traffic island in Park Lane, Westminster, to an accessible space near Hyde Park’s Victoria Gate.
Erected in 1880, the bronze statue was made by sculptor Richard Belt, and sits on an inscribed Greek red and white marble pedestal.
The statue was inspired by a line from Byron’s autobiographical poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, “To sit on rocks and muse o’er flood and fell”, and Byron is depicted with his dog, Boatswain, at his side.
The memorial sits in the south-east corner of Hyde Park, with permission granted by Queen Victoria.
The original garden setting was accessible to the public. But, due to a number of changes made to the Park Lane traffic layout during the course of the 20th century, the statue is currently inaccessible to the public.
As well as the relocation of the memorial, the project aims to increase public engagement with Byron.
The Byron Society plans to publish digital learning resources aimed at GCSE and A-level students and launch a ‘Byron in London’ walking tour.
The current Lord Byron, President of the Byron Society, said: “We are absolutely thrilled and immensely grateful to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and all lottery players who are helping us rescue Byron and put him back to where he can be appreciated.”
The new grant joins more than £162,000 which The Byron Society received from private donors and supporters, including the Heritage of London Trust and the Murray Family.
Pictured top: Computer generated image showing the restored memorial to Lord Byron on its proposed relocation site in Hyde Park (Picture: Donald Insall Associates)