Stowe Lion

Lead copies of the lions from the Medici villa in Rome were installed at Stowe House in the eighteenth century. When Stowe House and its grounds were parcelled up for auction in 1921, the lions began their journey to Stanley Park, Blackpool, where they arrived in 1926.
They graced the Italian Garden in Stanley Park until 2011 when threats from metal thieves forced their removal. Negotiations took place with Stowe House to have them returned to their original site, in return Stanley Park would receive stone replicas to replace the lead lions in the Italian Garden. In April 2013 the lead lions were once again installed in their original position at Stowe and this year the stone replicas have been installed at Stanley Park.