Ship's Figurehead from the Arethusa

The Ship's Figurehead from the Arethusa is a carved wooden figurehead created in 1859 by James Hellyer and Sons for the Royal Navy. This figurehead is attached to the original decorated stemhead and is flanked by two short lengths of the Arethusa’s handrails. It is positioned on a two-stepped square concrete plinth beneath a protective wooden canopy. On either side of the structure, there are two small muzzle-loading cannons that were given to the Arethusa in 1934. The entire structure is surrounded by a steel fence. However, the canopy, cannons, and fence are not included in the listing. The figurehead itself is a polychrome painted female bust with brown hair parted in the center, featuring ringlets at the sides of the head, and dressed in a loose early Victorian period dress with a waistband.