List of equestrian statues in the United Kingdom facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A horse statue is a sculpture that shows a person riding a horse, or sometimes just a horse by itself. These statues are often found in public places like parks or town squares. They celebrate important people or events in history. This list tells you about some of the horse statues you can find across the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.

England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
- Edinburgh's Statues
- Glasgow's Equestrian Art
Wales
Channel Islands
Images for kids
See also

England

Bristol's Horse Statues

Bristol has some interesting horse statues. One of the oldest is the statue of King William III in Queen Square. It was made in 1736 by John Michael Rysbrack from brass and stone.

Another statue in Bristol shows John Wesley, a famous religious leader. This bronze and limestone statue was created in 1932 by Arthur George Walker and stands at the New Room.

Liverpool's Royal Horses

Liverpool is home to several grand horse statues, many of them featuring kings and queens.

A bronze and stone statue of George III by Richard Westmacott was put up in 1822 at Monument Place.
At St George's Hall, Liverpool, you can see two statues by Thomas Thornycroft. One is of Albert, Prince Consort, Queen Victoria's husband, made in 1866. The other is of Queen Victoria herself, created in 1869. Both are made of bronze and stone.
Near the Pier Head, there's a bronze statue of Edward VII from 1916 by Goscombe John.

Liverpool also celebrates famous horses. At Aintree Racecourse, where the Grand National horse race happens, there's a bronze sculpture of Red Rum. He was a very famous racehorse, and his statue was made by Philip Blacker in 1987.

London's Historic Riders

London, the capital city, has many famous horse statues, often featuring kings, queens, and military heroes.

One of the oldest is the bronze and stone statue of King Charles I at Charing Cross. It was made in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur.
In Trafalgar Square, you'll find a bronze and granite statue of George IV by Sir Francis Chantrey, from the 1840s.
The Palace of Westminster has a bronze and granite statue of Richard Coeur de Lion, also known as Richard the Lionheart. It was created by Carlo Marochetti in 1856.
There are two important statues of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, a famous general. One is at the Royal Exchange (1844, by Sir Francis Chantrey and Henry Weekes) and another at Hyde Park Corner (1888, by Joseph Edgar Boehm).
In Kensington Gardens, you can see a bronze and granite sculpture called Physical Energy by George Frederic Watts, from 1907. It shows a rider on a horse.
The Cavalry of the Empire Memorial in Hyde Park is a bronze and Portland stone statue from 1924 by Adrian Jones. It remembers soldiers who fought on horseback.
A bronze statue of Ferdinand Foch, a French military leader, stands near London Victoria station. It was made by Georges Malissard in 1930.
In 1975, Elisabeth Frink created a bronze sculpture called Horse and Rider in Town Square, New Bond Street.

The Midlands' Statues

The Midlands also has its share of impressive horse statues.

At the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham, there's a bronze and stone statue of King George I from 1722. It was originally made for Dublin.
In Queen Square, Wolverhampton, you can see a bronze and granite statue of Albert, Prince Consort by Thomas Thornycroft, made in 1866.
Coventry has a bronze and Portland stone statue of Lady Godiva in Broadgate, created by William Reid Dick in 1949. This statue tells the story of Lady Godiva riding naked through the city to protest taxes.
At Wolverhampton railway station, there's a modern sculpture called Iron Horse by Kevin Atherton, made of painted steel in 1987.

Northern England's Monuments

Northern England features statues of kings and military figures.

In Market Place, Kingston upon Hull, there's a gilt statue of King William III from 1734 by Peter Scheemakers.
At Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, you can find a marble statue called Charles II of England trampling Cromwell. It's from the 17th century and was moved here in 1883.
Chester has a bronze and granite statue of Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere, a military leader. It was made by Carlo Marochetti in 1865.
In Leeds City Square, there's a bronze and granite statue of Edward, the Black Prince from 1903 by Thomas Brock.

Southern England's Equestrian Art

Southern England has many historical horse statues, including some that have been moved from other locations.

In The Square, Petersfield, Hampshire, there's a lead and stone statue of King William III from the 18th century.
At Windsor Castle, Berkshire, you can see a bronze and stone statue of King Charles II from 1679.
In Windsor Great Park, there's a large bronze and stone statue called The Copper Horse, which shows King George III. It was made by Richard Westmacott between 1824 and 1830.
A monument to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington stands in Aldershot. This bronze and stone statue by Matthew Cotes Wyatt was made in 1846 and was originally in London.
In Exeter, there's a bronze and granite statue of Sir Redvers Buller, a general, by Adrian Jones from 1902.
Newmarket, famous for horse racing, has a bronze statue of the famous racehorse Hyperion by John Skeaping, from 1961.
A bronze and stone statue of Emperor Nerva by Anthony Stones was put up in Gloucester in 2002.
In 2003, a bronze and stone statue of Elizabeth II was placed in Windsor Great Park, created by Philip Jackson.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland also has statues of historical figures on horseback.

In Belfast, at the Orange Hall on Clifton Street, there is a bronze statue of William III by Harry Hems.

Scotland

Scotland has statues celebrating its own history and heroes.

In High Street, Hawick, there's a bronze and stone statue called The Horse, part of the 1514 Memorial, made by William Francis Beattie in 1914.
At Bannockburn, a bronze and granite statue of Robert the Bruce, a Scottish king, was created by Pilkington Jackson in 1964.

Edinburgh's Statues

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, has many significant horse statues.

In Parliament Square, Edinburgh, a lead and stone statue of Charles II from 1685 can be seen.
The courtyard of Edinburgh City Chambers features a sculpture group of Alexander the Great and Bucephalus by John Steell, modelled in 1832 and cast in 1883.
On Princes Street, a bronze and granite statue of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington by John Steell was erected between 1848 and 1852.
The Albert Memorial in Charlotte Square, dedicated to Albert, Prince Consort, was created by John Steell between 1862 and 1876. It's made of bronze and granite.
In West Princes Street Gardens, the bronze and stone Royal Scots Greys Memorial by William Birnie Rhind from 1906 remembers a famous Scottish cavalry regiment.

Glasgow's Equestrian Art

Glasgow has several important horse statues, many in its city squares.

In Cathedral Square, Glasgow, there's a bronze and stone statue of William II of Scotland from 1735.
Royal Exchange Square is home to a bronze and granite statue of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington by Carlo Marochetti, made in 1844. This statue is famous for often having a traffic cone placed on its head!
George Square, Glasgow, has two important statues by Carlo Marochetti. One is of Queen Victoria (1854), which was the first horse statue of a woman in Britain. The other is of Albert, Prince Consort (1866). Both are bronze and granite.
In Kelvingrove Park, a bronze and stone statue of Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts by Henry Poole was put up in 1916.
On Woodlands Road, a bronze statue of the cartoon character Lobey Dosser on his two-legged horse, El Fideldo, was created in 1992 by Ranald MacColl, Tony Morrow, and Nick Gillion.

Wales

Wales also has statues that tell stories from its history and legends.

In Cathays Park, Cardiff, there's a bronze and stone statue of Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar by William Goscombe John, from 1909.
Harlech, Gwynedd, has a bronze statue called The Two Kings by Ivor Roberts-Jones, made in 1984. It shows figures from the ancient Welsh stories of the Mabinogion.
In The Square, Corwen, Denbighshire, a bronze and granite statue of Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh national hero, was created by Colin Spofforth in 2007.