Proposals have been made to erect a three-metre-tall artwork sculpture in the centre of Llandovery to commemorate the life and work of William Williams Pantycelyn.
The 18th-century poet and hymnist is buried at St Mary’s Church, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, immediately north of the town.
He spent much of his life in the area, and is remembered by an obelisk in the churchyard.
However, no memorial sculpture sits within the town centre - something Llandovery Town Council is hoping to change.
A spokesperson from the town council called it “a stark omission that needs to be addressed forthwith, and indeed should have been addressed by the powers that be many decades ago.”
Llandovery Town Council has submitted its plans to erect the sculpture to County Hall, with the application currently under consultation.
Should it be approved, the artwork would be sculptured by Gideon Peterson.
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Gideon is an award-winning artist, who alongside his brother Toby in 2001 produced the towering stainless-steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan next to Llandovery Castle.
The statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan was previously voted as one of the UK’s top ten monuments, attracting many tourists to the town.
It is hoped that the sculpture will be installed by Llandovery Museum in the spring of 2023, in preparation for the 100,000+ visitors expected to attend the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Letters of support for the proposal have been provided by the vice chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity St Davids, eminent Professor Wyn James and local historian Handel Jones.
Gideon Peterson said about the proposed artwork: “The sculpture will be about 10ft tall with a 4ft base (approximately). The sculpture will be made from 316 stainless steel and will sit on a stone base 1ft high and 4ft wide.
“I have chosen stainless steel as it is maintenance free as well as being robust, very strong and resistant to rust. The material is also eye catching and will give the sculpture a contemporary feel.
“The main part of the structure is based on the druidic symbol Awen. This has been used for hundreds of years to represent love, truth and creativity.
"I thought it particularly fitting as William Williams was both a poet and writer and seemed to get a lot of divine inspiration.”
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