Maiwand Lion
Encyclopedia
The Maiwand Lion is a sculpture
and war memorial
in the Forbury Gardens
, a public park in the town of Reading
, in the English
county of Berkshire
. The statue was named after the Battle of Maiwand
and was erected in 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men from the 66th Berkshire Regiment during the campaign in Afghanistan
between 1878 and 1880. It is sometimes known locally as the Forbury Lion.
The inscription on the plinth reads as follows:
The regiment lost approximately 258 men out of 500 (reports of the number vary) at the battle of Maiwand, having faced an Afghan army ten times larger than the British contingent. Eleven of the men, protecting the colours, made such a brave stand before their deaths that the Afghans who fought them reported it with great respect. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his character Doctor Watson on the regiment's Medical officer, Surgeon Major A F Preston who was injured in battle.
The sculptor was George Blackall Simonds
, a member of a Reading brewing family from Simonds' Brewery
. The sculpture took two years to design and complete, and the lion is one of the world's largest cast iron statues. Rumours persist that Simonds committed suicide on learning that the lion's gait was incorrectly that of a domestic cat. In fact, he made careful observations on lions and the stance was anatomically correct despite various African ex-pats disagreeing. He also lived for another 43 years, enjoying continuing success as a sculptor going on to create a statue of Queen Victoria (1887) and a statue of George Palmer (1891). He retired from sculpting in 1903 and worked in the family business eventually becoming its chairman in 1910. In 1922 he temporarily came out of retirement to build the Bradfield war memorial which commemorated the deaths in the First World War
of those in the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers which included his son.
The Maiwand Lion features on the front page of one of the local newspapers, the Reading Post, and also on the Reading Football Club
crest.
The statue is made of cast iron
, weighing 16 ton
s, cast by H. Young & Co. of Pimlico
in 1886. It is supported on a terracotta pedestal
. The rectangular pilastered plinth carries tablets recording the names of the dead, together with inscription above. The whole is listed grade II by English Heritage
.
The Loddon Brewery
, located in Dunsden Green
close to Reading, brew an IPA
called Forbury Lion.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in the Forbury Gardens
Forbury Gardens
Forbury Gardens is a public park in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The park is on the site of the outer court of Reading Abbey, which was in front of the Abbey Church. The site was formerly known as the Forbury, and one of the roads flanking the current gardens is still...
, a public park in the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The statue was named after the Battle of Maiwand
Battle of Maiwand
The Battle of Maiwand in 1880 was one of the principal battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Under the leadership of Malalai Anaa, the legendary woman of Afghanistan, the Afghan followers of Ayub Khan defeated the British Army in one of the rare nineteenth-century victories of an Asian force...
and was erected in 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men from the 66th Berkshire Regiment during the campaign in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
between 1878 and 1880. It is sometimes known locally as the Forbury Lion.
The inscription on the plinth reads as follows:
This monument records the names and commemorates the valour and devotion of XI (11) officers and CCCXVIII (318) non-commissioned officers and men of the LXVI (66th) Berkshire Regiment who gave their lives for their country at Girishk Maiwand and Kandahar and during the Afghan Campaign MDCCCLXXIX (1879) - MDCCCLXXX (1880).
"History does not afford any grander or finer instance of gallantry and devotion to Queen and country than that displayed by the LXVI Regiment at the Battle of Maiwand on the XXVII (27th) July MDCCCLXXX (1880)."
Despatch of General Primrose.
The regiment lost approximately 258 men out of 500 (reports of the number vary) at the battle of Maiwand, having faced an Afghan army ten times larger than the British contingent. Eleven of the men, protecting the colours, made such a brave stand before their deaths that the Afghans who fought them reported it with great respect. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his character Doctor Watson on the regiment's Medical officer, Surgeon Major A F Preston who was injured in battle.
The sculptor was George Blackall Simonds
George Blackall Simonds
George Blackall Simonds was an English sculptor and director of H & G Simonds Brewery in Reading in the English county of Berkshire....
, a member of a Reading brewing family from Simonds' Brewery
Simonds' Brewery
H & G Simonds Ltd was a brewery founded in Reading, Berkshire, England in 1785 by William Blackall Simonds. The company amalgamated with Courage & Barclay in 1960, eventually becoming part of Scottish & Newcastle...
. The sculpture took two years to design and complete, and the lion is one of the world's largest cast iron statues. Rumours persist that Simonds committed suicide on learning that the lion's gait was incorrectly that of a domestic cat. In fact, he made careful observations on lions and the stance was anatomically correct despite various African ex-pats disagreeing. He also lived for another 43 years, enjoying continuing success as a sculptor going on to create a statue of Queen Victoria (1887) and a statue of George Palmer (1891). He retired from sculpting in 1903 and worked in the family business eventually becoming its chairman in 1910. In 1922 he temporarily came out of retirement to build the Bradfield war memorial which commemorated the deaths in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
of those in the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers which included his son.
The Maiwand Lion features on the front page of one of the local newspapers, the Reading Post, and also on the Reading Football Club
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
crest.
The statue is made of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, weighing 16 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s, cast by H. Young & Co. of Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
in 1886. It is supported on a terracotta pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
. The rectangular pilastered plinth carries tablets recording the names of the dead, together with inscription above. The whole is listed grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
The Loddon Brewery
Loddon Brewery
The Loddon Brewery is an award-winning brewery based in Dunsden Green in the Oxfordshire countryside, near both Henley on Thames and Reading. It has become one of the fastest growing breweries in England, with beer now available nationally.- History :...
, located in Dunsden Green
Dunsden Green
Dunsden Green or Dunsden is a village in the civil parish of Eye & Dunsden in South Oxfordshire, about northeast ofReading, Berkshire. Before 1866, it was part of the Oxfordshire section of Sonning civil parish.-History:...
close to Reading, brew an IPA
India Pale Ale
India Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835...
called Forbury Lion.