In August 1963, two statues were removed from the tower of the Church of St John Baptist in Cirencester, Gloucester due to safety concerns. History tells us the 600 year old statues mysteriously vanished 56 years ago.
In rare photo footage, here we see Rev. Rowland Hill overseeing the removal of the statue of the Virgin Mary safely from the south canopied niche. The statue was moved to be on public display until 1966.
Both figures reportedly stood to almost six feet in height and weighed approximately half a ton. The attendance of the Fire Service with large turntable ladders and heavy duty lifting equipment presented a major public spectacle but there were also concerns about the loss of heritage and cultural significance.
Ms Blumson described its disappearance as “a mystery that’s puzzled the church for more than 50 years”.
A photograph of the Market Place taken from the end of Castle Street sometime during the immediate post-war period 1945 -54 shows the tower with the south-west niche figure in relative clarity:
View of the Market Place circa 1945 – 54 with the south-west niche figure highlighted; note long shadows from the foreground building on the corner of Castle Street which is indicative of late afternoon and hence a high level of natural lighting striking the niche/ figure (image reproduced from ‘The Story of Cirencester Parish Church by Archdeacon J. S. Sinclair, former Vicar of Cirencester 1898 – 1909; revised by W. I. Croome, Chairman of Gloucester Diocesan Advisory Committee in 1945’ (© The British Publishing Company Limited)