A symbol of Peace

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The statue was erected in 1911 with the cost borne by Sydney Simmons. It was sculpted by Joseph Durham (1814-1877) who exhibited over one hundred works at the Royal Academy, including the statue of Prince Albert outside the Royal Albert Hall. The inscription on the statue itself reads: “J Durham Sculpt London 1862”. The whereabouts of the statue between 1862 and 1911 and its subsequent purchase by Sydney Simmons, is something of a mystery.

The statue is 3.5m high and is mounted on 200 tons of Devon rock in the form of a Devon tor, presumably in recognition of Sydney Simmmons’ county (he was born in Okehampton). Two of the stones carry inscriptions:

In memory of the Peacemaker, King Edward VII.

Erected by Sydney Simmons, JP, the donor of this park, which opened to the public on May 7th 1910, the day following His Majesty’s lamented death.