Statue of Hercules at E of Top Terrace in Powis Castle Gardens

The Statue of Hercules is located at the east of the Top Terrace in the gardens of Powis Castle. This lead statue is attributed to the studio of John Van Nost and is believed to have been created for the Baroque water garden, which was largely completed in 1705. The statue is signed by Andries Carpentiere, a pupil of Van Nost, and it likely used lead sourced from the Powis family's own mine in Llangynog, Montgomeryshire. The water gardens were demolished between 1801 and 1809, and it is thought that this statue was moved to its current location shortly thereafter.

The statue depicts Hercules wearing a lion-skin and slaying the hydra, which is carved in stone, while he wields a wooden club. This Baroque sculpture is of exceptional quality and power, and it holds particular historical interest as one of the few surviving relics of the lost Baroque water gardens at Powis.