Verity

Verity is a 20-meter bronze and stainless steel figure at the harbor entrance in Ilfracombe, England. The pregnant form holds a sword and stands on a base shaped like legal volumes.

British sculptor Damien Hirst created the 25-tonne work and installed it at the harbor in October 2012. For a brief period it stood as the tallest statue in Britain until The Kelpies were built in Scotland.

The name derives from Latin and means truth, while the volumes beneath the figure's feet reference legal texts. The two halves of the figure present contrasting perspectives: a closed surface on one side and exposed internal structures with a visible fetus on the other.

You can view the sculpture from various points on the pier, with changing light throughout the day altering how the surfaces appear. The quay extends well into the Bristol Channel, offering views toward the Welsh coast to the north.

The construction consisted of 40 individual segments cast at Pangolin Editions foundry and assembled on site. Three materials were used throughout: bronze for the outer skin, stainless steel for the inner structure, and fiberglass for lighter sections.

Inception: 2012

Creator: Damien Hirst

Made from material: bronze, stainless steel, fiberglass

Website: http://damienhirst.com/verity

GPS coordinates: 51.21088,-4.11159

Latest update: December 17, 2025 10:00