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A cast lead Percy lion with pointing tail. The Lion Bridge replaced an earlier bridge which was partially destroyed in a flood in 1770. The foundation stone was laid on 21 August 1773. Its design in the eighteenth-century Gothic 'castle style' is said to be by Robert Adam's older brother John, although this attribution has been questioned on the grounds that it is certain the drawing was produced in Robert Adams's office, which at the time was extensively employed by the Duke of Northumberland. The statue of the lion has suffered various misfortunes over the years. The early nineteenth-century American writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes in 'Autocrat of the Breakfast Table' tells a story of a small boy breaking the lion's tail off when he sat on it for a dare.
Title
Percy Lion
Date
1773
Medium
sandstone & lead
Measurements
H 120 x W 50 x D 200 cm;
Plinth: H 14 x W 38 x D 143 cm
Accession number
NE66_MA_S010
Acquisition method
commissioned by 1st Duke of Northumberland
Work type
Statue
Owner
Northumberland Estates
Custodian
Northumberland Estates
Work status
extant
Listing status
Grade II (England and Wales)
Listing date
28/11/32
Access
at all times
