It has recently been announced that statues in George Square will be removed as redevelopment work is set to be carried out on the square.
Glasgow City Council are seeking specialists on the restoration of the square’s 11 landmark statues which we have taken a closer look at.
An announcement stated: “After this market engagement exercise, the council will then look to recruit the contractors to carry out the restoration work, a key stage in the wider regeneration of the Glasgow’s main civic space. “The notice for the statue experts has now been issued and is the next stage in the project’s progress, with the transformational plans now approaching their final planning hurdle.”
People will all have their own opinions on the current statues in the square with our readers previously getting back to us with their suggestions of who deserves a statue in the square.
Glasgow City Council are seeking specialists on the restoration of the square’s 11 landmark statues which we have taken a closer look at.
9. James Watt
Greenock-born James Watt was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer. His statue was designed by Chantrey and was erected in George Square in 1832. Watt designed
the first economical steam engine, (“Beelzebub”), in
1769 and patented his own improved version, which
reduced the consumption of fuel and steam by the use
of separate condenser.
10. Prince Albert
Prince Albert married Queen Victoria in 1840 and together they purchased Balmoral estate in 1852. The statue by Marochetti was erected October 1866. The Albert monument was placed in the eastern half of the Square, facing south, with Marochetti’s earlier Equestrian Monument to Queen Victoria relocated from St Vincent Place to form an adornment on the opposite side of the Scott monument
11. Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne in 1837 on the death of her uncle, William IV at the age of 18. She first visited Glasgow in August 1849. The statue was designed by Baron Carlo Marochetti and was first erected at St Vincent Place before being moved to George Square in 1866.
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.