| Statue of Winston Churchill | |
|---|---|
 “a sympathetic sculptural representation of Britain’s iconic war-time Prime Minister” | |
 | |
| Artist | David McFall |
| Completion date | 1959 |
| Type | Statue |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | Winston Churchill |
| Dimensions | 2.7 m (9 ft) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°36′14″N0°01′09″E / 51.604°N 0.0192°E /51.604; 0.0192 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Statue of Winston Churchill (and plinth) |
| Designated | 19 January 2016 |
| Reference no. | 1430402 |
Thestatue of Winston Churchill inWoodford, London, is abronzesculpture of the British statesman, created byDavid McFall in 1958–9. The statue commemorates Churchill's role as themember for theparliamentary constituency ofWoodford. Churchill was elected to theEpping seat in 1924 and held it until 1945 when the new constituency of Woodford was created. Churchill then held this seat until his retirement in 1964. The statue is aGrade II listed structure.
Winston Churchill's parliamentary career began at age 25, when he won the northern seat ofOldham as aConservative candidate in the1900 general election.[1] It ended 64 years later in October 1964 at age 90, when he decided, at the instigation of family and friends, not to contest the1964 general election, and ceased to beMP forWoodford.[2] His parliamentary career was unconventional: elected a Tory in 1900, in May 1904 hecrossed the floor to become a senior member of theLiberal Party.[3] By 1924, he had left the Liberals, and in October he stood as an independentConstitutionalist, winning the seat ofEpping, on the Essex/London border.[4] Subsequently, re-joining the Tory Party, he held this seat until its abolition under parliamentary reorganisation in 1945, and then won the successor seat ofWoodford, which he held until his final retirement in 1964.[5]
In 1958, theSir Winston Churchhill Commemoration Fund commissionedDavid McFall (1919–1988) to sculpt a statue of Churchill to be placed in the Woodford constituency. McFall had previously trained underEric Gill and then collaborated withJacob Epstein.[6] McFall worked initially from photographs, before Churchill allowed a number of personal sittings atChartwell, his country home in Kent.[a][8] The sittings, after which McFall produced six busts of Churchill in addition to the Woodford statue, were the last Churchill ever permitted.[9] The statue was unveiled byField MarshalBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein,KG, GCB, DSO, PC, DL, on 30 October 1959. Churchill attended the ceremony and made a short speech focused on the gradual dissolution of theBritish Empire and on Britain's own future place in the world.[b][10] The statue was one of only two of Churchill completed and unveiled in his lifetime.[11]
In the 21st century the statue has been the subject of occasional vandalism.[12][13][14] In 2009 it was chosen as the symbol of theLondon Borough of Redbridge for the 2012London Olympics.[15]
"Presiding over your pictures at theRoyal Academy is a very good bust of you in bronze byDavid McFall, the sculptor who did your statue for Woodford so badly at first, and deplorable photographs of which were published in all the newspapers – But now he has re-modelled the head of the statue and it is good – Monty is unveiling it on October the 3rd."[16]
Initial reactions to photographs of the work in progress were unfavourable, including those of members of Churchill's own family.Clementine Churchill, a fierce defender of her husband's reputation and public image, wrote to McFall suggesting that the face was "a caricature of Winston" and requesting changes.[c][8] McFall made alterations, and Lady Churchill adjusted her opinion (see box).[16] The reaction at the unveiling, and subsequently, was more positive;Pathé News reported in its contemporary account that "the essence of Sir Winston is caught in the brilliant sculpture by David McFall".[18] Churchill's own comment on the statue at the unveiling ceremony was, "very nice".[8]Historic England describes the statue as a "highly regarded, purposeful, yet sympathetic sculptural representation of Britain's iconic war-time Prime Minister in his later years".[19]
The statue is executed inbronze and is 2.74 metres (9.0 ft) high.[20] It stands on aplinth of Cornishgranite.[19] Churchill is depicted in a three-piece suit, walking in the gardens at Chartwell.[8] An inscription on the front of the plinth reads "WINSTON S. CHURCHILL", and another on the reverse reads "McFALL 1959". The sculpture is aGrade II listed structure.[19]
