Lord Londonderry statue causes controversy in Durham

Jun 8 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

LORD Londonderry - known to generations as “the man on the horse” – has been causing controversy in Durham for 150 years.

But yesterday it was not so much the horseman as the horse which was the subject of much debate – or more specifically, the horse’s rear end.

Durham City Vision’s plans for the regeneration of the city’s Market Place triggered an outcry earlier this year when it was found they included a proposal to re-locate the famous statue of Lord Londonderry.

Yesterday the Vision’s design team attempted to demonstrate that the statue will be shown to much better advantage if moved 100 yards from its present position in the centre of the Market Place to a site close to the entrance from Silver Street, by placing a wooden horse of a similar size there.

The idea is that moving the statue will open-up views of historic building facades, turn the horse to face into the Market Place and create more space for events and market stalls.

But the downside is that pedestrians entering Durham Market Place from Silver Street will have views of the horse’s derriere.

Colin Wilkes, managing director of Durham Markets, was philosophical.

He said: “For 150 years people approaching the Market Place from Claypath have had to look at the back of the horse. In future it can be the turn of people approaching from Silver Street.