These two stone sculptures are caryatids – female figures used as columns. The most famous caryatids are on the Acropolis in Athens.

 

These caryatids were once on each side of the main entrance at Rotherhithe Town Hall. They are late Victorian and date from1897 and were sculpted by the artist Henry Poole (1873-1928). Poole is not well known today but he was Master of Sculpture at the Royal Academy in the 1920s. He also sculpted the comical friars on The Blackfriar pub in the City.

 

Rotherhithe Town Hall was severely damaged by bombing in the Blitz – it was hit by bombs on six different occasions and later had to be demolished. The impact of the bombing damaged the caryatids too. However, the caryatids were rescued and transferred to a new housing complex in Elephant and Castle, the Heygate Estate, in 1974. 

 

The Heygate Estate was also demolished in 2011 but the caraytids were rescued again and installed in Southwark Park. The sculptures have needed restoration work in recent years, and for the right-hand caryatid, a new set of arms. 

 

Proud Places visited the caryatids during restoration work, meeting  the stonemasons sculpting the new arms in wax around a wooden structure – the model for replacement stone carving. The young people have learnt about the history of the site and sculpted and drawn their own caryatids.