This statue of Captain Robert Falcon Scott commemorating his ill-fated second expedition to the South Pole, stands at the western end of The Porter’s Garden of Portsmouth Dockyard, just inside the main entrance. Sculpted by his widow, Lady Kathleen in 1915, the Grade II listed bronze statue of Captain Scott with one of his faithful…
Category: Hampshire
Singular Statues: #5 Sound II
The fifth in the series of Singular Statues is by the artist, Antony Gormley, who is said to have donated this work – Sound II – to Winchester Cathedral. Located in the crypt, it is best viewed when the area is flooded (the cathedral is very close to the water table), where you see this…
Pawprint Series: Portsmouth to Arundel Canal
Having a dog is a great way to investigate a city you thought you knew well. Looking for new and interesting walks for The Hound has certainly lead me to discover parts of Portsmouth which I didn’t know existed. Having driven past it on the Eastern Road when travelling into Portsmouth, I decided to park…
Singular Statues: #4 HMS Trafalgar Figurehead
I discovered this magnificent carved and decorated figurehead featuring Admiral Lord Nelson lying quite close to HMS Victory, his famous ship, in Portsmouth Dockyard one fine day. As you can see, the right eye remains unpainted as he famously lost his sight in this eye in the siege of Calvi in 1794. Research relates that…
Pawprint Series: Staunton Country Park
Staunton Country Park came as a very pleasant surprise to me as I had no clue it even existed – well, technically, I guess, it actually didn’t until 1987. It is a listed landscaped parkland and forest, encompassing approximately 1,000 acres of land near Portsmouth, Hampshire. The land it covers was actually a grand…
Venerable Ruins: Wolvesey Castle, Winchester
If you have the time when you are in Winchester, pop around the back of the cathedral along College Street and take the trail to see the regal remains of what was once the domicile of the most powerful Bishops in the land: The Bishops of Winchester. The Bishop of Winchester once lived as part…
Pic of the Month: Doctor Who’s Tardis
I took this picture a couple of years back but truthfully, only really looked at it closely this week. I was visiting Portsmouth Dockyard and had sat down for a quick cup of coffee between ship-spotting. Imagine my surprise when I spied a Tardis in my orbit! As a Doctor Who fan, it certainly drew my…
Singular Statues: #3 Joan of Arc
For the third in this venerable series to promote the forgotten statues of yesteryear, here we have one of my favourites – Joan of Arc of course, situated outside the Lady Chapel in Winchester Cathedral. Created by Sir Ninian Comper in 1923, the statue’s base is said to contain a piece of stone from Rouen…
Regal Ruin – Portchester Castle
Is Portchester Castle a Regal Ruin? Yes says my friend but I am torn for I have climbed its inner sanctum – the great Keep – and it appeared in remarkably good condition! It was here that the most important apartments would have been located although later, it housed prisoners during the Napoleonic wars. Of…
Singular Statues: #1 King Alfred
When wandering around on my travels, I come across all kinds of statuary – some in good repair – others a little worse for wear – all completely forgotten. It seemed to me rather sad to see these works of art which would have been celebrated when unveiled, lying in the shadows, covered in soot…
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