Listed building or place reference: HE1423 Historic site reference Property Royal Square (incl. Statue Of King George II & VEGA pavement) Road name Royal Square Parish St. Helier LocationView on map Grade Listed Place Grade 1 Category Designed landscape Statement of significance A public square of outstanding significance to Jersey, being the original town market with medieval origins, and containing the Island's first public statue, 1751, and WWII memorial paving. Context n/a External Description The informal plan of the square is almost certainly accidental and takes its shape from the space left between the buildings and streets that grew up around it - the irregular shape contributing to its character. The square is granite-paved (originally surfaced with rough beach pebbles). Inset into the paving in front of the old Corn Exchange are the letters VEGA - with an over-size 'V' - and the date 1945. Created by local stonemasons during the German Occupation in celebration of the Red Cross parcels brought by the ship Vega, but also covertly celebrating the imminent victory of the Allies. Forming the visual centrepiece of the Royal Square is the statue of King George II - one of Jersey's finest works of public art. It is by sculptor John Cheere of London and was erected on 9th July 1751 - making it the first public statue in Jersey. The statue replaced the old market cross and the market was re-named Royal Square at that time in honour of the king who was patron of the development of St Helier's harbour during his reign. The statue is of gilded-lead and shows a life size King George II in Roman dress - a popular artistic style of the day, which reflects the rediscovery of classical antiquity in the eighteenth century. Restoration works in 1998-1999 revealed it to be one of the finest surviving examples of lead sculpture in the British Isles - with intricate design work and fine detail. The statue was in place during the Battle of Jersey, and some marks on the surface could be attributed to the musket fire that ricocheted around the Royal Square. The present granite pedestal is not the original and was installed in 1819. Distances shown on milestones around the Island are measured from its pedestal. There is a projecting granite platform in front of the statue upon which important proclamations, such as a new monarch, continue to be made. The special artistic interest is confined to the statute of King George II and the VEGA paving. Internal Description n/a Special interest Archaeological,Architectural,Artistic,Historical For the best experience, you will need to use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser to view the map Back to detail page Back to search results Documents Terms and conditions for downloading documents The plans, drawings and material provided have been submitted to the Chief Officer for permissions in respect of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002. They are protected by copyright under the Intellectual Property (Unregistered Rights) (Jersey) Law 2011 (Article 70 of the 2011 Law). The material is being provided to make available for public inspection the Register of Planning and Building Applications and must not be used for other purposes without the prior permission of the copyright owner.The Minister for the Environment makes every effort to maintain the accuracy of the information on this website but cannot accept responsibility for and disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may arise from the use of the information provided. For applications approved during or after July 2016 approved documents are available from within the ‘Approved Documents’ section. For applications approved from 15 May 2012 - July 2016 approved documents are available under the ‘Plans’ section. I understand and agree with the terms and conditions. Date Description Size 24/11/2017 Schedule Listed Building Grade 4 299.60 KB Back to search results
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