Lincoln: Tennyson’s statue

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born on the 6th August 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire. his father was an Anglican clergyman who served as rector in that parish. He was the fourth of twelve children, one of whom died in infancy. The household was creative: everyone wrote and read poetry, and played music together.
Studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, Tennyson joined the Apostles Club, making several firm friendships, and writing and discussing poetry. He formed a deep bond with Arthur Henry Hallam, their friendship lasting for four years until Hallam’s early death. Now considered some of his best work, Alfred wrote ‘In Memoriam’ in response to his grief at Hallam’s death.

In 1850, after William Wordsworth's death, Tennyson was appointed to the position of Poet Laureate. He died on 6th October 1892 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.

A few years after his death, one of his friends, George Frederick Watts, began work on a memorial statue . Watts was 86 years old when he finished it in 1903, the year before his own death in 1904 and this statue now stands outside Lincoln Cathedral. Depicting Tennyson alongside his dog, Karenina, the poet is looking down at a small flower in his hand. Watts was inspired by Tennyson’s poem, ‘Flower in the Crannied Wall’, published in 1869.

Minster Green

Eastgate,

Lincoln,

LN2 1QG

You can read about the Poets’ Walk in Clevedon here