Much-loved lion statue gets facelift

One of a pair of 150-year-old lion statues in Weelsby Woods is to get a new face to match its "twin"

Stonemasons are working on one of Grimsby's two iconic lion statues, which are almost 150 years old.

One of the Weelsby Woods lions was badly damaged in 2023 when a car crashed into it.

It was restored, but with a different face design to its "twin", which is now being remodelled so the pair will match once again.

The same stonemasons are working on the current project.

The latest Weelsby Woods lion statue to undergo restoration work

The Lincoln-based stonemasons have been on-site at Weelsby Woods in Grimsby and have removed the lion's existing face before they install a new one to match the other statue.

A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said: "Following work done to restore the right-hand lion to the Weelsby Woods entrance last year, the decision has been taken to remodel the face of the left-hand lion so the pair matches."

Grimsby pride

Community group, Friends of Weelsby Woods, raised £10,000 in just a week to pay for the repairs, with money donated from as far afield as Australia.

Jemmima Woods, of Friends of Weelsby Woods, told BBC Radio Humberside: "We held discussions with the council and people asked, is the other lion being given a facelift, too?"

One of the statues was damaged when a car crashed into it in 2023 but was later restored and returned to the entrance of the woods, where the pair of lions has stood since the 1950s.

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