Weelsby Wood: Damaged Grimsby lion sculpture gets facelift

BBC News

30-04-2025

A lion statue damaged after a car crashed into it has had a facelift to make it match its twin.The pair have stood at the entrance to Weelsby Woods in Grimsby since the 1950s, until a car hit one in 2023, knocking it off its pedestal.It was repaired and restored to its plinth, but the face did not match the other lion sculpture.Now stonemasons have remodelled the face so it looks like the existing one.
The two-tonne lions were carved in 1876 for the gateway of a house on Abbey Road in Grimsby.They were moved to the park when it opened in 1951 following a donation of 150 acres of land to the town by a local fishing magnate.After the crash, community group the Friends of Weelsby Woods raised £10,000 to repair the damaged lion.The latest restoration was paid for by North East Lincolnshire Council and used the same Lincoln stonemasons who had previously fixed it.
Councillor Henry Hudson said he was "elated" to see the pair back together."It's great to see the lions match again," he said."It was a travesty when the first was destroyed."However, now the pair look even better and we're thrilled to have been able to do this."Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.