Plans have been revealed to replace the head of a large historic statue in a family park, more than a year after vandals decapitated it.
The sculpture depicting St Eanswythe in Radnor Park, Folkestone was targeted in June 2024 and has stood headless ever since.
But at a recent Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) meeting, plans were revealed to restore the figure to its former glory.
Responding to Cllr Belinda Walker (Lab), the cabinet member for assets and local government reorganisation, Cllr Connor McConville (Ind), said: “We were all saddened when the statue of St Eanswythe was mindlessly vandalised and had her head removed and stolen.
“The artist who was commissioned for the original work has been unable to commit to sculpting a new head due to other work commitments.
“This is clearly a very specialist area of work, but officers, with the help of the original artist, have secured a new artist to work on the sculpture.
“I’m delighted to announce that this should be commencing shortly, and the statue should be complete with her new head by the end of August.”
FHDC will pick up the bill for the work of £1,300, and the exact date for the project to get underway is currently unknown.
St Eanswythe was born in the seventh century and founded one of the first Christian monastic communities for women in the town’s historic Bayle area.
She was the daughter of Eadbald, who ruled as king of Kent from 616 to 640 and granddaughter of Ethelbert, the first English king to convert to Christianity under Augustine, making her part of the Kentish royal dynasty.
She is thought to have died in her late teens or early 20s – though the cause of her death is unknown.
In March 2020, human remains found in the wall of the Church of St Mary & St Eanswythe, in Church Street were confirmed as hers.
FHDC had the sculpture positioned to represent St Eanswythe watching over the playing field off Radnor Park Avenue in 2017.
Last year, a police investigation was launched after the statue was discovered to be vandalised.
