More than £40k raised for Pembroke's Henry VII statue

The fundraisers with the clay model statue of Henry VII

Plans to erect a statue of Henry VII in Pembrokeshire have moved a step forward.

A group has raised more than £40,000 to build a bronze statue of the founder of the Tudor dynasty, who was born in Pembroke Castle in 1457.

The 2.4m (8ft) statue has been modelled in clay and is soon to be cast in bronze.

But a further £5,000 needs to be raised to install it on the bridge overlooking the castle.

Pembroke Castle attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year, but the group feels the town should have more to celebrate the king's birthplace.

They want it to be put on the Tudor trail alongside the likes of Hampton Court.

The statue will be erected on a bridge overlooking Pembroke Castle

The fundraising group was awarded £20,000 from Pembrokeshire council, £10,000 from Valero oil refinery and collected £12,000 in donations for the statue

The campaign for a statue gathered pace in 2013 following the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, who was defeated by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Pembroke Cllr Linda Asman went to Richard III's reinterment at Leicester Cathedral and said the city has "really grasped the power of heritage", bringing "massive attention."

Since Richard III's tomb was officially unveiled in 2015, Leicester Cathedral has seen visitor number increase from 20,000 to 25,000 a year to around 220,000.

Cllr Asman said: "In the end Richard III was defeated by Henry, and Henry should be getting far more attention."

The greyhound of Pembroke town crier Cllr Rose Blackburn sat for the Henry VII statue