Dean To Scale Cathedral Tower To Bless New Sculpture

Published on: 8 Feb, 2016
Updated on: 8 Feb, 2016

Staff at Guildford Cathedral will be crossing their fingers for good weather this Thursday (February 11) when the Dean, The Very Revd Dianna Gwilliams, will climb its East Tower to visit and bless the building’s newest sculpture.

New sculpture of Madonna and Child completed on the East Tower of Guildford Cathedral.

The Madonna and Child, by sculptor Nicholas Thompson, is the latest in an illustrious line of contemporary sculpture for which the cathedral is renowned.

The dean will don hard hat at noon and climb to the sculpture to give a special blessing as it begins its life exposed to the elements on Stag Hill.

The sculpture had won a competition to transform a block of Clipsham stone, which had remained unworked on the side of the tower for almost half a century. The competition, run by Guildford Cathedral and City and Guilds, meant that he had to brave the English weather to complete the sculpture in a little over two months.

It represents the themes of sacrifice, hope, salvation and determination evoked by mothers who lost their sons in the First World War. It is moving tribute to those who went through the war.

Nicholas said: “I have enjoyed the project – it has been physically and mentally challenging. It has been a great privilege to work in such lofty surroundings overlooking Guildford and the downs.

Sculptor, Nicholas Thompson, works high above Guildford on the cathedral’s newest work of art, The Madonna and Child.

“I have enjoyed that aspect of it very much. It is also very exciting to execute one’s own design in stone, and in such a prominent location on a building that I admire.”

The dean added: “It is a privilege to be able to build upon the artistic traditions established at Guildford Cathedral by sculptors such as Vernon Hill, Dennis Huntley and Eric Gill. This poignant image, created by Nicholas, is a welcomed addition and is a reflection of the importance placed on art at the cathedral.”

 The two-month project has been part of a much larger project from a £500,000 grant from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund which supports vital repairs to some of England’s most important historic buildings.

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