A three-metre-tall sculpture to commemorate William Williams Pantycelyn is coming to Llandovery, after plans for the artwork were approved by Carmarthenshire County Council.
It is hoped that the sculpture, which is funded by Llandovery Town Council, will remember the life and work of one of the town’s most famous sons.
The 18th-century hymnist and poet spent much of his life in the area, and is buried at St Mary’s Church, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, immediately north of the town.
In Llandovery, the only striking memorial to him is the obelisk in the church cemetery where he is buried, with no memorial sitting in the town centre.
A spokesperson from the town council called it “a stark omission that needs to be addressed forthwith, and indeed should have been addressed by the powers that be many decades ago.”
The sculpture, once built, will sit in the courtyard at Llandovery Museum on the A40. It is hoped a grand opening will take place around March 2023, in preparation for the Urdd Eisteddfod coming to the town.
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Mayor of Llandovery, Handel Davies, said: “I’m delighted, but not surprised, that the plans have been approved. It really is something that the town needs.
“A lot of hard work has gone into this, and now we’ve got the green light, it’s over to Gideon. The ball is in his court.”
Gideon Peterson has been commissioned to sculpt the artwork, as he is well known for his previous work in Llandovery.
Back in 2001, Gideon, along with his brother Toby, produced the towering stainless-steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan next to Llandovery Castle.
The statue by the castle has previously been voted as one of the UK’s top ten monuments, having attracted many tourists to the town over the last two decades.
Gideon Peterson said: “The sculpture will be about 10ft tall with a 4ft base (approximately). The sculpture will be made from 316 stainless steel and will sit on a stone base 1ft high and 4ft wide.
“The main part of the structure is based on the druidic symbol Awen. This has been used for hundreds of years to represent love, truth and creativity.
"I thought it particularly fitting as William Williams was both a poet and writer and seemed to get a lot of divine inspiration.”
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