There’s something quietly satisfying about seeing a piece of heritage from above – how the camera lifts us up and reveals a shape we might never notice from ground level. Here in Lancaster Square, Conwy, the statue of Llewelyn ap Iorwerth – Llewelyn the Great – sits at the centre like the hub of a wheel.
From above, the octagonal basin and cast shadows stretch outwards, echoing a sense of continuity, of story and time turning in circles.
It’s a fitting image for a conservation project.
These past weeks, we’ve started Phase 1 stabilisation and conservation repairs, which include repairs of the lettered copings that surround the statue – a task that’s as much about rhythm and care as it is about stone. The letters anchor the monument in place and time.
There’s a resonance too, in the image of our mason at work – seated at a circular bench, tools radiating around him like spokes – repairing what was once broken, letter by letter.
The statue commemorates the 13th-century prince who shaped much of modern Conwy. The statue connects the civic heart of Conwy to a deeper story—of leadership, legacy, and identity. Like the conservation work itself, it’s a reminder that the past still has a profound part to play in our future.
