Statue of Charles Kingsley is a Grade II listed building in the Torridge local planning authority area, England. First listed on 19 March 1973. Statue. 1 related planning application.
Statue of Charles Kingsley
- WRENN ID
- small-string-yarrow
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Torridge
- Constituency
- Torridge and Tavistock MP: Sir Geoffrey Cox (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 19 March 1973
- Type
- Statue
- Address
- Statue of Charles Kingsley, the Quay, Bideford, EX39 2HW
- OS grid reference
- SS 455 269
- Coordinates
- 51.02074, -4.20374
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Statue of Charles Kingsley, located on the east side of The Quay in Bideford, was created in 1906 by sculptor Joseph Whitehead. This statue is made of white marble and depicts Kingsley in an academic gown, with his right foot forward. He holds a pen in his right hand and two books in his left hand. The statue stands on a tall pedestal, likely made of Portland stone, which features a moulded cap and base. The front of the pedestal is incised with the name "KINGSLEY," while the back of the foot of the statue bears the inscription "JOSEPH WHITEHEAD. SCULPTOR. LONDON S.E." Attached to the base of the pedestal is a bronze wreath that reads: "CHARLES KINGSLEY. Born 12th June 1819. A tribute of honour and esteem from the inhabitants of Bideford. June 12th 1919." The statue has suffered some damage, losing its right little finger and the top of the pen. Joseph Whitehead, based in Vincent Square, Westminster, exhibited his work at the Royal Academy in 1889, 1893, 1894, and 1895.
Local climate
Statue of Charles Kingsley receives an average of 960 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 74% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 88% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 10 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 90% of listed buildings. Of these, 4 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 1 application
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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