Statue of King Alfred, Trinity Church Square

This is a statue of King Alfred, sculpted in Coade stone by James George Bubb and completed by June 1824. The statue incorporates a fragment of Romano-British sculpture, believed to be part of a larger, early to mid-2nd century oolitic limestone depiction of the goddess Minerva. The statue stands approximately 2.6 metres tall and is mounted on a moulded plinth. It depicts a king in a 14th-century style, documented as King Alfred. The back of the statue is plain, designed for a niche setting. The pose of King Alfred, the drape of the gown and cloak, are directly influenced by elements of the Minerva fragment. The fragment is most visible in the gathered cloth between the legs, and the right leg, which projects forward because of the original sculpture’s pose. The extent of the limestone is clearly visible down to just below the right knee, where the gown continues in Coade stone. A seam marks the boundary of the limestone fragment, rising to mid-thigh on the left side. The fragment also reveals elements of drapery that would have been held by the left arm of the Minerva sculpture now incorporated into the Alfred statue. The Minerva statue from which the fragment originates was likely a monumental work, approximately 3 metres in height, which explains the unusual proportions of the Alfred statue. The belt line of Alfred corresponds to the waist of the original Minerva sculpture, placing it at the level of Alfred's elbows. The lower portion of the statue (from feet to belt line) accounts for roughly two-thirds of its height, while the upper portion (from belt line to crown) makes up the remaining third. The detail in the Coade stone is noteworthy; the cloak has an imitation embroidered margin at its edge and the drapery of the cloak and gown continues the folds and elaboration of the Romano-British fragment. A disk broach ties the cloak below Alfred's beard, and he wears an open crown.