Posted on Monday 10 December 2007
Oxford’s gargoyles, deemed too ugly, will stand down next year.
Nine of the gargoyles that have adorned the top of the Bodleian Library for decades will soon be replaced with newer, more attractive versions designed by children as part of a competition to celebrate Oxford’s millennium.
The winning designs, which include a snarling wild boar, a dodo and a J. R. R. Tolkien representation, will become permanent limestone fixtures of the library next year.
While the Bodleian dates back to the early 1600s, there are no historical records on when the gargoyles were created and how they originally looked. With the gargoyles now extensively damaged, the library felt it was time for a revamp.
The competition, which was open to children in Oxfordshire aged 8 to 18, received many participants who based their designs on myths, monsters, or people with a connection to the county.
Debbie Dance, director of the Oxford Preservation Trust, said many entrants took inspiration from the numerous gargoyles atop Oxford’s buildings. “It encouraged children to look above the shops and see the great variety of historic gargoyles that stare down at them,” she said.
Ben Bryant, 13, was inspired by a local tale of a wild boar choking on a book, while Alex Sermon, 14, based his design on Tolkien, who was an Oxford professor.