Statue In Birtley, Co Durham, County Durham
Statue dedicated to EM Perkins whose company supplied materials for the High Level Bridge in Newcastle.
This grade II listed statue was built in 1874 in memory of Edward Moseley Perkins. Edward, along with 4 members of his family, became a partner of Birtley Iron Works in 1858, and later Mayor of Newcastle in 1864.
Birtley Iron Works was established in the 1820s and was used to melt ironstone, using coal from local collieries in Ouston and Urpeth. The Iron company supplied materials for the High Level Bridge in Newcastle Upon Tyne, which opened in 1848. The company no longer exists now, and the site has been occupied by Komatsu since 1987.
E.M Perkins was highly regarded in his community for his public service ethos. As well as being Mayor of Newcastle, he was a councillor and a magistrate, and Birtley Iron Company provided housing for it's workers in the nearby village of Perkinsville.
The statue was unveiled in 1874 in front of a large crowd, and art historian Nikolaus Pevsner cuttingly described it as the 'funniest monument of County Durham'. We will let you be the judge of that!
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What three words
hails.pies.soft
Lat / Long
54.896251, -1.574311
Show Place On Google Maps
Turn right out of the pub car park along Birtley Lane and the statue is a 5 minute walk away. It is situated at the centre of a triangle of grass at a crossroads.
What three words
bright.music.double
Lat / Long
54.893825, -1.573749
Parking is available at The Moulders Arms pub. Pop in for lunch afterwards.
Contributed by Sandra Clemens
I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.
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