Statue of Polyphemus, Corby Castle is a Grade II* listed building in the Cumberland local planning authority area, England. A C18 Statue.

Statue of Polyphemus, Corby Castle

WRENN ID
sleeping-minaret-crimson
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Cumberland
Constituency
Carlisle MP: Ms Julie Minns (Lab)
Country
England
Type
Statue
Address
Statue of Polyphemus, Corby Castle, Wetheral
OS grid reference
NY 470 540
Coordinates
54.8783, -2.82652
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Statue of Polyphemus at Corby Castle is a Grade II* listed statue, created in the early 18th century for Thomas Howard of Corby Castle. It is made of carved red sandstone and stands 4 metres tall, depicting Polyphemus holding a staff in one hand and reed-pipes in the other. Architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner described it as "wondrously badly carved, but just for that reason very engaging." The statue dates from the same period as the nearby cascade, which was noted by Sir John Clerk of Penicuik during his visit in 1734. It is a prominent feature along the riverside walk in the grounds of Corby Castle and is included for group value with the nearby cascade.

Local climate

Statue of Polyphemus, Corby Castle sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,090 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 87% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 79% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 54 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 95% of listed buildings. Of these, 29 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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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Cascade to West of Corby Castle Grade I 78 m
  2. Corby Castle Grade I 164 m
  3. Dovecote to South East of Corby Castle Grade I 165 m
  4. Walls of East Range of Wetheral Priory, East of Gatehouse Grade I 230 m
  5. Kitchen Garden Walls to South East of Corby Castle Grade I 232 m
  6. Byre Hill Farmhouse, Corby Castle Estate Grade II 239 m
  7. Wetheral Abbey Farm Grade II 257 m
  8. Wetheral Priory Gatehouse Grade I 274 m
  9. The Shrubbery Grade II 294 m
  10. Gate Lodge to East of Corby Castle Grade I 323 m