Nottingham's restored Queen Victoria statue is unveiled

The statue dates from 1905

A project to restore a city's statue of Queen Victoria has been unveiled.

The work formed part of a £1.7m restoration of the Victoria Embankment's Memorial Gardens in Nottingham.

The unveiling followed months of work by master craftsmen who cleaned the statue, granite plinth and bronze plaques, repaired the sceptre and replaced some missing fingers.

City council bosses said they were delighted with the project.

The restoration forms part of a £1.7m project

The Grade II listed statue was created by the sculptor Albert Toft and was unveiled in 1905 - four years after the queen's death.

Originally located in the Market Square, the statue was moved to the Victoria Embankment in 1953.

The whole restoration project is funded by £1.1million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with match funding from The Transforming Cities Fund, The War Memorials Trust and Nottingham City Council.

Craftsmen had to restore the queen's fingers, some of which had broken

Audra Wynter, the council's portfolio holder for highways, transport and parks, said: "I am delighted to see the fantastic progress being made on the restoration of the Memorial Gardens.

"The gardens are of great importance and have been an asset to Nottingham for nearly 100 years.

"In 2019 we completed the World War One Memorial and this additional funding will allow future generations to rediscover the site as a place for contemplation, relaxation and recreation within the local community."

The overall project, which includes the restoration of the 1927 war memorial and nearby pond and fountains, is due to be completed by the end of 2022.

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