Statue of William IV

On the east side of Montpellier Gardens, at the end of the central walk, is a statue of William IV, one of only three in existence: one statue is in Cheltenham's twin town, Göttingen in Germany, (William IV was also King of Hanover).

The statue was erected by Cheltenham solicitor Thomas Henney and originally placed in Imperial Gardens on William’s Coronation Day, 8 September 1831. The 8ft 1in figure was designed and executed by local sculptor William Montague Gardner of the Colonnade at the High Street end of the Promenade. This was his first public work of art. Models of the statue in plaster of Paris, coloured or bronzed and up to 4ft high were available to buy at Gardner’s premises the same month.

Originally the statue was painted in bright colours, but modern taste dictates that it remains unpainted now. It was moved to its present site in Montpellier Gardens in May 1920.