12-Foot High Beasts Climb the Spire of St George's, Bloomsbury

03/05/06

After an absence of 140 years, two lions and two unicorns, a massive 12 foot tall and weighing 9 tons each will be visible once more from New Oxford Street and the British Museum.

They are part of the spire of St. George's Bloomsbury church and the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor's original design.

Built in 1730, the church is famous for appearing in Hogarth's famous depiction of intoxication and degradation 'Gin Lane' (1751), and until it came to the attention of the World Monuments Fund in 2002 had fallen into a state of disrepair.

The World Monuments Fund in Britain has raised £8.3 million for the restoration of the church which is due to be completed in October this year.

‘Gin Lane’ was the epitome of inner city degradation, with the recent arrival of gin causing the intoxication of a generation.

At that time London was overcrowded and contained an estimated 207 inns, 447 taverns, 5,875 beerhouses and 8,659 brandy houses. History seemed to be repeated in the late 1990’s with a drug explosion in the Bloomsbury area, which also contributed to the general decline of the church. With a dwindling congregation, a lack of funds led to decay and damage to such a level that the church, despite being a Grade I listed building was put on to the Buildings at Risk register of English Heritage and the World Monuments Fund Watch List of the World’s 100 Most Endangered Sites in 2002. The drainage system failed and water then infiltrated the building and the interior. A four year restoration began in early 2002 to rescue the building.

The Lions and Unicorns are also a school project at Soho Parish School.