St Peter's Square Statue to Be Given Facelift

Greek Runner will be cleaned and restored in time for 100th anniversary

The statue by Sir William Blake Richmond, has stood in the square gardens since 1926
The statue by Sir William Blake Richmond, has stood in the square gardens since 1926

 

Blue Plaque for Island Records Unveiled in St. Peter's Square

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June 30, 2025

One of Hammersmith’s most celebrated landmarks, the Greek Runner statue in St Peter’s Square is to be given a facelift.

H&F Council planners have approved plans for works to clean and restore the bronze statue and its stone plinth.

The restoration is timely, as the statue, which was designed and executed by sculptor Sir William Blake Richmond, has stood in the square gardens since 1926 and so is approaching its 100th anniversary.

The works will be carried out by Rupert Harris Conservation Ltd, which found: “ The current protective coatings on the bronze have generally failed and the sculpture’s surface is now degrading. Oxidation of the underlying bronze is naturally patinating to a copper chloride green where the previous coatings have now worn away.”

The company says the project, expected to take around two weeks and cost around £10,000, aims to “ undertake such works necessary to restore the surface of the sculpture to a condition that is visually as original, while at the same time providing the sculpture with a surface that is both protected and maintainable, as well as undertaking cleaning of the plinth.”

In a report supporting a planning application which can be seen on the council’s website using reference 2025/00984/LBCHF the company say the work will augment the statue’s patina as well as improving the appearance of the stone plinth.

The Greek Runner’s creator, Sir William Blake Richmond was a resident of Hammersmith, living with his family in Beavor Lodge in nearby Beavor Lane until his death in 1921. His family then donated the statue to the borough and it was installed as a memorial to him in July 1926.

St Peter’s Square, Hammersmith’s most elegant square, was initially laid out around 1825 as a private residential square, part of a speculative housing development by George Scott on his Ravenscourt Park estate. Scott also provided the land for St Peter’s Church.

For the next 85 years, the square remained a private space for the residents of the surrounding houses, featuring a garden with a well and an engine house for water supply.

In 1912, the square faced the threat of redevelopment, and local residents successfully campaigned for its preservation, and Hammersmith Borough Council went on to purchase the land in 1915, simplify the garden's design, and open it as a public park.

Today it is a very popular local park and was one of 21 open spaces in our borough to be given a Green Flag award by Keep Britain Tidy.


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