Lion and Unicorn
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Robertson Terrace |
| Town: | Hastings |
| Parish: | Hastings |
| Council: | Hastings Borough Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | TN34 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Road or Wayside |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | South west (lion) and south east (unicorn) corners of the terrace |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 127 |
| Grid reference: | M7 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
| Previous location: | Originally designed for the forecourt of Buckingham Palace |
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Makers
| Name : | James George Bubb |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Construction period: | Early 19th century |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Hastings Borough Council |
| Object listing: | Not listed |
| Description: | The statues, each standing on a tall pedestal, are a representation of the lion and unicorn from the United Kingdom Royal coat of arms. The plinths have carved floral panels on three sides. The lion stands at the west entrance of Robertson Terrace and the unicorn at the east. |
| Iconographical description: | The figures represent the ‘Arms of Dominion’. The lion represents England and the Unicorn represents Scotland. The heraldic unicorn is chained as it was regarded in folklore as a very dangerous beast only tameable by a virgin. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Roadside / Wayside, Heraldic, Free Standing, Sculptural, Animal |
| Object type1: | Statue |
| Object type2: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Mythological |
| Subject type2: | Allegorical |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Plinths |
| Material: | Concrete render over concrete and stone core |
| Height (cm): | 240 |
| Width (cm): | 120 |
| Depth (cm): | 120 |
| Part 2: | Unicorn |
| Material: | Limestone |
| Height (cm): | 180 |
| Width (cm): | 110 |
| Depth (cm): | 100 |
| Part 3: | Floral panels |
| Material: | Pink concrete over iron armature |
| Height (cm): | 100 |
| Width (cm): | 50 |
| Depth (cm): | 5 |
| Part 4: | Lion |
| Material: | Limestone |
| Height (cm): | 180 |
| Width (cm): | 110 |
| Depth (cm): | 100 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Poor |
| Risk assessment: | Immediate risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Previous treatments staining |
| Condition 2: | Surface spalling, crumbling |
| Condition 3: | Metallic staining |
| Condition 4: | Biological growth |
| Condition 5: | Abrasions, cracks, splits |
| Condition 6: | Corrosion, Deterioration |
| More details: | Lion: the sculpture is very weathered, causing loss of detail to the carving. Some areas of the sculpture are blackened. The plinth is in poor condition, he render is crumbling and in some areas detached. The corroding armatures are staining parts of the render. Unicorn: the statue is badly eroded on the South-east side and much of the detail on that side has been lost. Some areas of the sculpture are blackened and there is some lichen growth visible. On the plinth, the corroding armatures are staining parts of the render. There is some lichen and moss growth. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Cracks, splits, breaks, holes |
| Condition 2: | Broken or missing parts |
| Condition 3: | Armature exposed |
| More details: | Lion: the tail has been lost. The plinth is in poor condition. Part of the cornice on the North side is detached. The iron armatures in the panels are visibly corroded and this is splitting the panels. Evidence of previous repairs to the render is visible. Unicorn: the horn is lost. The plinth is cracked near the base on the South side. Evidence of previous repairs to the render is visible. The iron armatures in the panels are visibly corroded and this is splitting the panels. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 24/05/2007 |
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History
| History: | The sculptures were originally designed for the forecourt of Buckingham Palace and moved to Hastings by Decimus Burton |
| Hard archive file: | No |
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References
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Photographs
Date: 15/10/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 15/10/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Date: 15/10/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 15/10/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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