Bryan Kneale's 'Slatehook' unveiled after restoration on Clapham’s Fenwick Estate

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We are delighted to have unveiled the restored Slatehook, a sculpture by Bryan Kneale, on the Fenwick Estate in Clapham North, together with Lambeth Mayor Cllr Paul Valentine, residents, friends and local schoolchildren.

Slatehook was commissioned in 1961 through the London County Council's Patronage of the Arts Scheme, which brought work by leading sculptors into new housing to enrich everyday public spaces. Inspired by slate gateposts on the Isle of Man where the artist was brought up, its twisted steel suggests a horse drawn plough.

Over the decades, Slatehook showed the effects of time and weather. Its metalwork had corroded and its large slate slab had been graffitied. The conservation work included cleaning the sculpture, removing limescale deposits, filling cracks, and repainting the steel with a protective coat.

HOLT director Dr Nicola Stacey said: “Slatehook is an artwork by a fantastic artist whose work is in the world’s biggest galleries, so it’s wonderful to have it here on Fenwick Estate. We hope that it brings local residents great interest and pride for many generations to come.”

The Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr Paul Valentine, said at the unveiling: “Slatehook really shows you that art, culture and heritage is inspirational to everyone and it’s important to have this everywhere in our borough. I’m delighted to be here and it’s been a fantastic event.”

Famous for his work in welded metals, Bryan Kneale was the first abstract sculptor to be elected to the Royal Academy. His work is held in collections including Tate, the British Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

We were delighted to host Bryan Kneale’s daughter, Kate Kneale, at the unveiling. Addressing the guests, and especially children, she said: “I am touched and moved that you’re here, and I’m thrilled that you restored this work. It is a reminder that we should all have these things around us. [...] My father would be so happy to see this project. But the most important thing that he would really really like you to do is to use this to fire up your imagination and go on and find your voice and find your place in the world.”

Ishmael from Heathbrook Primary School, said: “I think it is a good thing it's been restored because we don't want it to get all rusty at the end because of the rain and everything. If we don't restore it, it will be like crushed out and in the future people won't be able to see it. This is good because someone might be able to see the artwork and they might get inspired themselves and make big artworks like that one.”

Thank you to everyone who came to the unveiling, including local residents who shared their memories of Slatehook, Kate Kneale, representatives of Bryan Kneale’s gallery Pangolin London, Royal Academy of Arts and the students and teachers of local schools St Andrews and Heathbrook Primary School.

We would also like to thank Lambeth Council for working so closely with us and to Richard Rogers Conservation for their fine work.

Proud Places Hub opens in the City, creating new opportunities for young Londoners

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We are delighted to have opened the Proud Places Hub, a dedicated creative and heritage learning space for young people at One Golden Lane in the City of London.

Developed in partnership with Castleforge and Futurecity, the Hub provides a permanent workshop home for our Proud Places programme and creates an exciting new base for workshops, careers activities, exhibitions, talks and public events.

The opening marks an important milestone for Proud Places. Since launching the programme in 2020 with support from the Jones Day Foundation, we have worked with more than 12,000 young Londoners, connecting them with heritage restoration projects, conservation skills, creative learning opportunities and career pathways, alongside our Proud Prospects careers programme.

The Proud Places Hub is the next step in that journey. Situated within the historic former Cripplegate Institute building, it gives us a purpose-designed space for the programme.

Located in the heart of the City, the Hub will bring young people together with businesses, professionals and mentors who can help them explore career pathways in heritage, design, architecture and the creative industries. Volunteers from City firms will support workshops, events and skills development opportunities throughout the year.

The opening celebration also highlighted the remarkable history of the building itself. More than 500 years ago, the original Cripplegate Foundation was established to support some of London's poorest residents. The Cripplegate Institute later became a centre for learning, education and opportunity. Today, thanks to the generosity of Castleforge, that philanthropic legacy continues through the creation of the Hub.

The Hub opens at a critical time. With nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 currently not in education, employment or training across the UK, we believe it is more important than ever to provide opportunities that build skills, confidence and ambition. Through Proud Places, we use heritage as a springboard for engagement, helping young people discover new interests, develop valuable skills and connect with future careers.

We were thrilled that Phil Bowen, Chair of the Youth Justice Board, highlighted the social impact of the Proud Places programme at the event. Speaking of creating a pro-social identity for young people, he said: “We know children thrive when they feel they belong somewhere. 
We know that trusted relationships, often with an adult matter, and we know that meaningful activity, responsibility, achievement, hope, could change the direction of their lives. And so the gap is often not about between ignorance and knowledge. It's about knowing what works and doing what works. This Hub is quietly closing that gap.”

We would like to thank everyone who helped make the Proud Places Hub possible, particularly Michael Kovacs and the team at Castleforge; George Kekatos and colleagues at Futurecity; John Phillips and the Jones Day Foundation; Sarah Mangan from the Barbican; David and Molly Lowell Borthwick; Imago Interiors; artist Coralie Turpin; Brixton Radio who delivered a DJ set at the event, and the many volunteers, partners and supporters who have helped us grow Proud Places over the last six years.

Most importantly, we look forward to welcoming young Londoners through the doors of the Proud Places Hub and seeing the creativity, talent and ambition they bring with them. This is a space for them: a place to imagine new possibilities for the future.

Byron has a new home

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London's Lord Byron memorial has been rescued from a traffic island, restored, relocated, and returned to public view.

Together with the Byron Society, we have unveiled the restored Lord Byron statue in its new home in Hyde Park, marking the culmination of a major conservation and relocation project. This is the only public statue of Lord Byron in England, and it can now be enjoyed by everyone once more at an easily accessible spot near Hyde Park's Victoria Gate.

We are proud to have supported the restoration spearheaded by the Byron Society, and made possible by a generous grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from Byron enthusiasts all over the world, including the family of Byron’s publisher, John Murray.

The statue was unveiled by HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Patron of Heritage of London Trust, who spoke at the event alongside Greek Ambassador Yannis Tsaousis - a fitting reminder of Byron's enduring significance to both Britain and Greece. Baroness Twycross, Minister for Heritage, and Lord Parkinson, her predecessor in Government, also attended the event.

Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of the Heritage of London Trust, said: "There's really nothing more satisfying than rescuing a famous London landmark from the very beginning - to see it restored, to learn about Lord Byron, to reflect on his legacy, and then have it relocated and opened to the public for anyone to access."

Lord Byron, President of the Byron Society, said: "Our sincere hope is that the statue will encourage people to explore Byron's poetry and also his letters, which are so accessible and give a brilliant insight into his engaging personality and fascinating inner life."

George Gordon Byron is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the English language and one of the most famous men of his age. A Romantic poet and satirist, he captured imaginations worldwide through his poetry, his personality, and ultimately his death fighting for Greek independence. His works, from 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' to 'Don Juan', remain widely studied and quoted today, and he has endured as a symbol of liberty - a scandalous figure in his own time who later became an icon for wider movements. He supported Italian and Greek fights for freedom. In Greece he is still honoured as a folk hero, with 19 April marked as a national holiday.

Through our Proud Places programme, supported by the Jones Day Foundation, we have introduced 700 young people from across London to Byron’s legacy. We also organised a poetry competition for Year 8 students at Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith. The winner, Bea Macaraeg, read her poem to the guests at the unveiling.

Lord Byron now sits - book in hand, his dog Boatswain at his side - at an open, easily accessible spot at the top of West Carriage Drive, between Buckhill Playground and Victoria Gate in Hyde Park, W2 2UH.

Watch the restoration documentary at byronmemorialstatue.com.