CGI of Queen Mother Square
Top right : Photograph of the Duchess of Cornwall Inn
Bottom right : Queen Mother statue in The Mall , London
This year is an exciting year as the plans laid out more than 22 years ago for the central hub and heart of Poundbury are now being realised
Simon Conibear Poundbury Estate Director
million retirement complex by McCarthy & Stone , which will open this year in August as its flagship development . Bowes Lyon Court is named after the Queen Mother ’ s maiden name . Upon completion Queen Mother Square is arguably set to take pride of place as one of the finest new squares to be built in Britain for a generation . As such there are lots of thriving local businesses based in and around the square . There are three unique cafés , an artisan butcher as well as a newly extended Waitrose for grocery shopping . The square now hosts the monthly farmers ’ market on the first Saturday of each month . Once a year the square comes alive with the popular Dorset Food & Arts Festival , where stalls from local food producers are showcased to the hordes of visitors . Without a doubt , the main focal point of
“ Our aim is to provide a community facility for all occasions that both residents and visitors to Poundbury can cherish and enjoy ”
the square will be the cast bronze statue of the late Queen Mother by internationally renowned sculptor Philip Jackson . The 9 ’ 6 ’’ tall Poundbury statue is scheduled to be unveiled this autumn . It is the exact casting of the Queen Mother ’ s statue standing in The Mall , which was unveiled in 2009 by Her Majesty The Queen . It was chosen by The Prince of Wales who described the sculpture as “ a fitting tribute to my darling grandmother .” The statue shows the Queen Mother at the age of 51 , when she was widowed , after which she went on to live another 50 years . Mr Jackson met the Queen Mother when she was 100 , to present her with a statue of her late husband King George VI , and he recalled : “ Meeting the Queen Mother at the time was incredibly useful because one could see what a great spirit she was . Even at that age she was a remarkable example of how you can live life to the full , right to the very end .” Philip added : “ When you look at the photographs and the footage , you seldom catch her without a smile on her face – it was so obvious that she had the spark of life in her and I really wanted to get that life into the work . But at the same time , this is an official memorial , showing her as Elizabeth the Queen , so what I did was to get the wind just moving her robes slightly , and a faint smile playing on her lips .” After years of planning , design and delivery , Poundbury Estate Director Simon Conibear describes the square as having a real ‘ buzz ’. “ Queen Mother Square has always been at the heart of the project ,” he said . “ This year is an exciting year as the plans laid out more than 22 years ago for the central hub and heart of Poundbury are now being realised . “ We are delighted to see the square become the lynchpin for Poundbury .”
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