Statue of Captain Albert Ball, Nottingham Castle

This is a Grade I listed war memorial, dedicated to Captain Albert Ball, located within the grounds of Nottingham Castle. It was created by Edwin Alfred Rickards and Henry Poole ARA and unveiled in 1921 by Sir Hugh Trenchard.

The memorial is constructed from a bronze statue set on a Portland stone pedestal, which stands upon a polished grey granite base. The memorial has a circular plan. It occupies a prominent position on one of the highest points within the city. The bronze statue depicts Captain Albert Ball gazing upwards, with his hands on his belt. Behind him is an allegorical bronze figure representing Air, dressed in loosely draped fabric, with one hand pointing skyward and the other resting on Ball’s shoulder. The statue stands on a moulded stone plinth with inscriptions on two of its four sides, set within auricular cartouches. The other two sides feature reliefs: a SE5a bi-plane flying over front-line trenches to the north, and a bi-plane flying above clouds to the south. The plinth sits atop a wider, tiered base, which in turn rests on three lobed steps with smaller interlocking circles at each lobe indent, suggesting flower petals. Decorative bronze elements integrated into the base include eternal flames, a feather, a laurel wreath, scrolled foliage, and fanned bronze feet intended to appear supportive.

The front inscription reads: CAPT. ALBERT BALL V.C./ 7TH ROBIN HOOD BATTALION SHERWOOD FORESTERS/ ATTACHED ROYAL FLYING CORPS, DSO (2 BARS) MC/ CROIX DE CHEVALIER, LEGION D'HONNEUR,/ ORDER OF ST GEORGE (RUSSIAN)/ HON. FREEMAN OF THE CITY OF NOTTINGHAM/ PER ARDUA AD ASTRA. The rear inscription reads: IN THE AIR/ HE GAVE MOST CONSPICUOUS/ AND GALLANT SERVICE TO/ HIS COUNTRY AND WAS KILLED/ IN ACTION FIGHTING GLORIOUSLY/ MAY 7TH 1917 AGED 20 YEARS/ PER ARDUA AD ASTRA.

The memorial is situated within the scheduled site of Nottingham Castle and close to several other Grade I listed structures, including the Castle gatehouse, the Castle Museum and Art Gallery, and the Castle outer bailey, wall and towers. Two further war memorials – a sundial and an obelisk, both Grade II listed – are located within 80 metres of the Albert Ball memorial, forming a significant group.