Possible move for noble Lord
Jan 16 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal
CONTROVERSIAL plans to move a historic statue described as the elephant in the room were unveiled yesterday.
Despite 90% of respondents to a public consultation in Durham saying they wanted the statue of Lord Londonderry on horseback to remain in its same position in the city’s Market Place, TV design guru John Grundy yesterday said it could well be moved to another part of the square.
Mr Grundy, representing Durham City Vision, a partnership established to attract more visitors to the city, said £5.25m had been set aside to revive the city’s Market Place.
But he said one stumbling block was the position of the statue, which he likened to the elephant in the room.
Describing it as a piece of art you wouldn’t be surprised to see in a Roman square, he stressed that the statue would remain in the square.
But he added: “Whether it would remain in the same spot is the issue. It could possibly be moved to the top of Silver Street, to provide a more dramatic effect.”
Last week Durham announced it was bidding for the title of European Capital of Culture 2011, and Mr Grundy said the vision of Durham City Vision was to use the market square for more public art and performing art.
Describing the present state of the Market Square as tired-looking, he said plans for its future included relaying the surface and removing cobbles, which would be recycled in nearby alleyways, or vennels.
Street furniture such as seats and telephone kiosks would also be removed to provide more space for market stallholders.
Work would also take place on making the vennels, narrow passageways off Silver Street and Sadler Street, more accessible to shoppers and visitors.
Today a small invited audience is being given a sneak preview of preliminary ideas drawn up by the design team led by architectural firm Ryder.
City centre stakeholders attending the meeting will include retailers, heritage group the City of Durham Trust, disabled and residents’ associations representatives and councillors.
Harvey Dowdy, director of Durham City Vision, said: “It’s been over 30 years since the streetscape of Durham has been analysed in such depth. The world we live in has changed a lot in that time and we aim to reflect those changes while still mirroring the city’s remarkable heritage.”
But Roger Cornwell, a trustee of the City of Durham Trust, said: “I would need to be persuaded about the removal of the Londonderry statue. It has been in that position since 1861.”
The mounted figure of Charles Vane, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, dominates Durham City’s Market Place, but it was not always a popular choice for the site.
When a statue was proposed, opinion was divided between those who respected his military career and others who remembered the colliery owner who sent letters threatening to evict any merchant in Seaham who supplied goods to striking miners.
The electro-plated copper statue of Londonderry, portrayed at the age of 42 dressed as a hussar, was unveiled in 1861 at a ceremony attended by Benjamin Disraeli and various military detachments.
