Leicester: Plans to move historic statue as part of revamp approved

The Duke of Rutland statue was originally erected in Cheapside

A historic statue in Leicester has been approved for a relocation as part of a major market revamp.

The Grade II-listed sculpture of the Duke of Rutland will be moved from outside the Corn Exchange to its original location in Cheapside.

Leicester City Council applied to move the bronze sculpture to protect it from construction work, which is due to take place at Leicester Market as part of its £7.5m regeneration.

The statue will also be cleaned.

The sculpture was made in Leicester and originally funded by public subscription, but was displayed in the London 1851 Great Exhibition.

It was erected in Leicester in 1852 and was the city's first-ever statue, unveiled in Cheapside in front of 50,000 people.

A magazine of the time, The Builder, wrote: "Most of our readers will remember the strange, loose figure of the Duke in the Great Exhibition: it stood in the west nave.

"His grave is made to appear positively intoxicated; and we may expect, if it be put up without alteration, to find the old proverb of 'as drunk as a lord' giving place in Leicester to 'as drunk as the Duke'."

It has been relocated on a number of occasions and was placed in storage for several years.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planning officers said returning the statue to its original location would "have clear benefits in terms of its legibility within the historic environment".

Historic England was also consulted over the plan and raised no objections.