A striking new public sculpture is being created to commemorate Christ’s Hospital’s 350 years in the City of London. The school was founded in the Square Mile 465 years ago before moving to Horsham in 1902. The new bronze sculpture, 2.4m long and 1.5m high, will be positioned close to where Christ’s Hospital was originally founded in Newgate Street.
Currently, the only permanent acknowledgement of its occupation of the site is a small blue plaque. Conversely, the sculpture will be very visible to passers-by, and positioned on the boundary wall of Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden.
A spokesman for the school said: “The design will give ‘life’ to the essence of Christ’s Hospital and its vision. “It will reflect themes relating to the past generations of children and depict children marching in their famous Tudor uniform, a tradition that is part of the daily life of pupils even today.
“The modern day school remains true to its original vision of providing education for children of promise, regardless of means.” The back of the sculpture facing the garden will feature a copper plate drawing of the Priory buildings before Christ’s Hospital began to occupy the site in 1552, coupled with an extract from a poem by former pupil, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The artist, Andrew Brown, a renowned sculptor with many public commissions in his portfolio, was selected following an open competition organised by the City of London Corporation.
Andrew is currently working on the sculpture at his studio in Billingshurst, West Sussex. Pupils were photographed as models for the maquette and then again for the final piece. The sculpture will be moved to a foundry in London in the summer and is planned to be installed this September.
