WORK has started in Town Mills Riverside Park to create a setting fit for royalty, as Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) prepares for the installation of a new life-size bronze sculpture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Commissioned by TVBC to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, it is one of two sculptures created by renowned artist, Amy Goodman. The second piece will be installed in Romsey next year.

Over the next few weeks, contractors will be on site doing the groundwork ready for the statue’s plinth and steps to be put in place. They will also install cabling for the new lighting to showcase the artwork and widen a section of the footpath adjacent to the sculpture. They have already relocated the memorial bench to the other side of the park by the ears of corn artwork.

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The sculpture will be unveiled at the end of September and will sit in the top corner of the park close to the river.

Amy has worked with the local community and schools to capture important memories of the Queen and her links to local towns and used these to create the unique and exquisitely detailed artworks.

The Andover artwork is of the monarch in her later years, while the Romsey piece captures Her Majesty shortly after she came to the throne. Both show the Queen wearing a cloak adorned with pictures created by the community, which tell the story of some of the events that took place during her reign.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Phil North, said: “It is exciting that we are just a few weeks away from installing the first of the two statues of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

“When the Queen reached her Platinum Jubilee, the council felt it was incumbent on us to mark that unique moment in British history with a permanent reminder of Her Majesty’s truly exceptional reign. And following her death, these pieces take on a new poignancy as a tribute to her incredible legacy.

“It is fantastic that Amy Goodman has involved local schoolchildren and communities in shaping the design, so the artwork stands as both a fitting tribute to the Queen as well as the incredible people who make Andover such a unique and special place.”