Petition calling for a Henry VII statue in Pembroke is handed over

2:18pm Wednesday 9th January 2013 in News

A petition calling for a statue of Henry VII to be erected in Pembroke has been handed into the National Assembly for Wales.

Historian Nathen Amin, from Llanelli, has petitioned the Welsh Government to fund a statue of Henry VII in Pembroke as a way of both marking the town as his birthplace and boosting tourism.

Nathen said: "It is difficult to overstate the financial benefits the Tudors bring to the UK tourist industry, hundreds perhaps thousands of Americans alone regularly visiting the many palaces and castles in England to place themselves in the very spot history happened.

"Hampton Court. Windsor. Kenilworth Castle. Ludlow Castle. Hever Castle. The list is endless. Disappointingly and somewhat with a degree of short-sightedness Pembroke as a town and a castle has not capitalised on this Tudor-mad industry by marketing itself as a core Tudor attraction.

"On my many visits to Pembroke castle I have often been surprised by the lack of celebration towards the life of Henry Tudor at this castle.

"This isn't merely a location with a tenuous link to the Tudors, it's an integral part of the Tudor story as the birthplace of Henry VII. "

The petition, with 144 signatures, was due to be presented at the Senedd yesterday (Tuesday).

Comments(9)

Rockface says...
3:40pm Wed 9 Jan 13

So someone who lives outside of Pembs has got a petition with only 144 signatures in order to pressure the government to fund and erect a statue?

If the Historian wishes to see some mark of Henry why not fundraise himself rather than ask the government to foot the bill.

Further more if he looked beyond his own shortsightedness he would see that celebrations of the Tudors take place quite regularly in Pembroke as well as nationally!

Report this post »

Nathen says...
5:21pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Thank you for your comment Rockface; whilst I do live in Carmarthenshire, ammanford to be exact and not Llanelli, I do have family ties to Pembrokeshire and as a fellow West Walian I don't feel I should be excluded from having an opinion on your county.

This petition has been created to raise awareness and it's certainly been successful in its aims amongst the Welsh press. Such awareness could conceivably lead to independent funding therefore this isn't merely a begging job of the Government. That being said, raising the economy of the local area through the medium of heritage certainly comes within the remit of our Assembly.

Finally, I am very aware of Tudor celebrations that are undertaken in the county and am a thankful visitor to many. Nonetheless I see nothing wrong with attempting to expand on such a thriving industry to benefit the town.

Report this post »

brickface says...
5:55pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Personally, i feel that the historian should be praised for his effort, who in their right mind would criticise someone from outside of their county, for trying to improve trade and income into the Pembrokeshire area.

144 signatures......1,14
4 signatures, who cares, the time and effort should be praised, not demoralised by a simple individual.

WELL DONE NATHEN!!

Regards Brickface!

Report this post »

martin9325 says...
11:36am Thu 10 Jan 13

Absolutely right Brickface. Well done Nathen - and I am sure that if more of us has known about the petition you would have got 10 times the signatures. Having said that I doubt it is a WAG priority in the current economic climate to commission a statue and so funds will need to be raised locally if it is to happen.

Report this post »

sparkplug says...
3:56pm Thu 10 Jan 13

I seem to remember a bronze statue being unveiled of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in Neyland a few years ago, which vanished one dark night !!?
I do hope, if the erection of the above statue of HenryVII ever comes about, it will not be constructed of some rare metal... Let`s hope this time the pigeons will have an eternal perch of some local stone on which to play their courtship games.

Report this post »

jexi1110 says...
9:59pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I'd rather see the WAG use their chequebook to sort out more pressing issues in Pembroke such as the declining state of the town.

It's rapidly becoming a carbon copy of its scruffy and downtrodden neighbour, Pembroke Dock.

Report this post »

DARC says...
8:33pm Sat 12 Jan 13

I find it incredulous that anyone living within Pembroke should voice negative thoughts on this positive,feasable idea.
Pembroke, without it's castle would be just another struggling town. You should be proud of the fact that on your doorstep you have such a significant historical building to shout about. Anything which will raise awareness and encourage tourism can only be viewed positively. This brilliant idea should be at the very top of the agenda for discussion at your next local council meeting.

Report this post »

Rockface says...
3:07pm Mon 14 Jan 13

Not negative but being realistic. What tourists want is an experience so they will return for years after. Maybe we should be looking at something that is more current such as a 'Pembroke Eye' or even upgrading the commons would be a start. We already have a landmark i.e. 'the castle' which attracts thousands of tourists, to monopolise on Tudor history will not bring the punters in.
Im not against the idea of erecting a statue, I just think the government need to spend taxpayers money on perhaps upgrading the town first.
Perhaps there is a need for more consultation on what people think is needed in the town???

Report this post »

Tttoommy says...
10:15am Wed 16 Jan 13

Let's hope Its inside the Castle - otherwise some Irish gypsies will take it for scrap a la Milford Haven

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree