Discover the statue collection

Published:: 26 August 2024

Ten Corinthian columns in a circle and lead figures of a lion and lioness. A leafy green lawn. — Temple Lawn at Anglesey Abbey | © Andrew Butler

Come and explore the magnificent statuary collection at Anglesey Abbey, curated in the mid-20th century by Urban Huttleston Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven. His passion for art and creating beautiful spaces shines through this historically significant collection of over 100 sculptures on display in the grounds.

Born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and later moving to England, Lord Fairhaven amassed a diverse and significant collection of art, including over one hundred sculptures and ornaments that now grace the beautiful gardens of Anglesey Abbey. His unique approach to collecting has resulted in a collection of national and international importance.

This autumn, you can join us for an exclusive statue tour in the gardens before the covers are put back on for the winter. Perfect for everyone who is interested in learning more about the statues they often see but may know little about.

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Outdoor statuary at Anglesey Abbey

Lord Fairhaven’s approach to collecting was unique and personal. His approach resulted in the diverse collection you can see in the gardens today. Here are some notable statues on display around the grounds:

Formal Garden, Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire — A statue of Father Time stands in the Formal Garden | © National Trust Images/Mike Selby

Father Time

Lord Fairhaven would use statues as focal points, placing them at the ends of avenues or as central features. One of the most striking examples of this design approach can be found in the Formal Garden. Here, the centrepiece is a limestone statue of Father Time, clutching a sundial that dates back to the 18th century.

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Apollo sculpture in the Rose Garden at Anglesey Abbey. The statue is on a raised stand, arm outstretched and surrounded by yellow roses. — Apollo sculpture in the Rose Garden at Anglesey Abbey | © Andrew Butler

Apollo in the Rose Garden

In the mid-18th century, in London, John Cheere cast the figures of Apollo and Diana, the twin deities from Roman mythology, in lead. The casts found at Anglesey Abbey were originally from the gardens of Copped Hall, a country house near Epping. The Georgian house was devastated by a fire in 1917 and a significant amount of the statuary and garden furniture was relocated to estates across the country.

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Bacchus with Panther

The Bacchus statue in the gardens is a replica of the original, which is currently displayed indoors in the restaurant at Anglesey Abbey. This colossal Bacchus has a history as grand as its size, having been part of several notable British collections. It has been in and out of these collections so frequently that it has earned the nickname ‘Bacchus the Wanderer’.

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A satyr statue is playing the panpipes by a hedge, the entrance to the Rose Garden. An urn can be seen in the gap between the hedge. — Satyr and urn entrance to Rose Garden at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridge | © Mike Selby

Satyr Herms

At the entrance to the Rose Garden you can find two Satyr Herms, one blowing into a conch shell, and the other playing panpipes. These limestone statues are believed to be from the 18th century and made in Britain. If you look closely, you'll see that the panpipes are being played upside down, in keeping with the Greek myth where Pan challenged Apollo to a music competition.

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Two marble statues flank the entrance to the Pinetum at Anglesey Abbey. The statues are either side of a leafy walkway; the autumnal leaves are dropping to the ground. — Marble statues flank the entrance to the Pinetum at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire | © Justin Minns

Vertumnus and Hercules

Vertumnus and Hercules were brought to Anglesey Abbey from the home of Lord Fairhaven's parents. Initially, these two 18th-century limestone statues were installed at the entrance to the Warriors Walk in 1946. Then, on December 22, 1964, they were moved to their current locations at the entrance to the Pinetum.

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Metal gilt and enamelled musical tower clock in chinese taste, fashioned as 4-tier pagoda. Known as the Pagoda clock at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

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