Bust

Sanctuary - head on left - Victoria

Erection date: 1854

Site: Westminster Sanctuary (4 memorials)

SW1, Broad Sanctuary, The Sanctuary, 1-8 Broad Sanctuary

The building is Grade II listed, a terrace of Bath stone buildings incorporating gateway to Dean's Yard. 1853-54 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Some sources say these were built as houses which seems unlikely but they are certainly now used as offices.

Niches in the turrets, at first floor, house two very similar statues. The spandrels of the gateway are decorated with two roundels with portrait heads, one of which is crowned. These all seem to represent particular individuals but we can find no information, so we have to guess.

The statues are crowned and each clutches a model building, with slightly different fenestration. So we think they are the two kings central to the creation of Westminster Abbey: Edward the Confessor who, in 1042-52, (re)built St Peter's Abbey here, and Henry III who, in 1245, began the building of the current Abbey. Comparative beard lengths seem to corroborate our theory.

And the two heads must represent Victoria and Albert: the female wears a crown and the male doesn't, the date of the building, they even look like some of their portraits.

The memorial column in our photo is covered on its own page: Westminster School - old boys.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sanctuary - head on left - Victoria

Subjects commemorated i

Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sanctuary - head on left - Victoria

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

08 Croydon - Archbishop John Tillotson

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Built in 1892 by Charles Henman Jr. this heavily decorated complex of buildings makes up Croydon's Town Hall. The building and the rounde...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Greenwich roundels - Collingwood

Greenwich roundels - Collingwood

SE10, King William Walk, Discover Greenwich (Royal Naval College, Pepys Building)

The roundels on the north, river-facing, frontage are occupied by, left to right: Anson, Drake, Cook, Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich, Ro...

1 subject commemorated
The George

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There has been a public house of this name here since at least 1739 but the bust is a very good likeness of George IV, regent 1811 - 1820...

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01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

CR9, Katharine Street, Croydon Public Library

Built in 1892 by Charles Henman Jr. this heavily decorated complex of buildings makes up Croydon's Town Hall. The building and the rounde...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Morley Mosaics - KEW - Annie McCall

Morley Mosaics - KEW - Annie McCall

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These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

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General James  Wolfe

General James Wolfe

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GPO architectural sculpture

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1 subject commemorated
Alfred the Great - Lewisham

Alfred the Great - Lewisham

SE13, Lewisham High Street, 199 - 201, Lewisham Library

The dates on the plaque differ from those usually given: date of birth varies but date of death is normally given as 26 October 899. We c...

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C. Menniss

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Nathan David

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