London is full of memorials and fountains and statues and countless other tributes that people stop to see. The number of historical figures, politicians, and literary figures who are either from or lived in London is immeasurable. While some are more popular than others, I have not seen any spot as popular as the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. No matter when you go, the time of day, time of year, or weather, you will always find people taking photos with it. This is a quick look at the infamous statute in London!
It is quite a large and striking statue, nearly 15 feet tall! It has a small boy atop a tree stump, and the tree stump is covered in all sorts of animals. If you have a few moments, I would recommend wandering around the statue to look at all of the details. I was able to spot quite a handsome squirrel!
What I find so particularly interesting about this status is that it was commissioned by Peter Pan author JM Barrie himself, and placed in the gardens at Kensington with no permission or permits. (He wanted children to believe that it was put there by fairies, which is a pretty good way to skirt regulations and paper work.)
Barrie donated the statue to the city of London, although some criticised him for donating a statue that promotes his own works. It also become a Grade II Listed Building in the 1970s and is now protected. There are 6 other copies of the statue that were cast later on, in Brussels, St. John’s (CAN), Liverpool, Camden (USA), and Toronto, but this is the original!
Have you visited Peter Pan at Kensington Garden? What literary monuments have you been able to visit in person?
Cheers,
The Historian
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This statue is a favourite of mine and yes I have a photo of me with it. When I was young I had an old story book of my mother’s called Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens which was about him living there, on an island in the Serpentine, before he went to Neverland .
This post made me smile during a rough day. I like the statue a lot, but I mostly like it because it’s in my favorite park in the world. Kensington Gardens is the one place in London I ALWAYS make sure to visit when in town; I especially love The Long Water, looking toward the bridge, in the evening hours before the sun starts to set. I could sit in that park for hours. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
I am sad to hear that it has been a rough day, but I am glad to know this was a bright spot ?I am actually hoping to visit the Gardens a few times, to catch it at different lights!!
Peter Pan is one of my my favorite childhood stories, so I hope to visit this statue the next time I visit the UK! I don’t believe I ever visited the statue on any of my previous visits.