Monument To Grace Darling Circa 30 Yards West Of Church Of St Aidan, Memorial monument near St Aidan's Church in Bamburgh, England.
The Monument To Grace Darling stands roughly 30 yards west of St. Aidan's Church in Bamburgh, Northumberland, and is listed as a Grade II* monument and memorial. It takes the form of a stone canopied tomb with a carved recumbent figure of Grace Darling resting on top, made from local sandstone.
The memorial was erected in 1838 to honor Grace Darling, who became famous that same year when she and her father rowed out in a storm to rescue survivors from the wrecked steamship Forfarshire. She died just 4 years later, in 1842, and the monument was completed around the time of her death.
Grace Darling became a public figure during her own lifetime, celebrated in songs and paintings while she was still alive and living quietly on the Farne Islands. Visitors who come to the monument often also walk to the Grace Darling Museum nearby, where her rowing boat is kept.
The monument is found within the churchyard of St. Aidan in Bamburgh village and can be reached on foot from the main street. Combining a visit here with a stop at the Grace Darling Museum, a short walk away in the village, gives a fuller picture of her story.
The carved figure on the tomb holds an oar, which was an unusual choice for a Victorian memorial to a woman and directly references the physical act that made her famous. The design was the work of Charles Raymond Smith, a sculptor who also created works for the Palace of Westminster.
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