Trinity College’s Missing Statues

18 May 2026

For generations, the four statues atop Trinity College chapel have formed part of Oxford’s historic skyline, watching over Broad Street from one of the city’s most recognisable towers. Representing the quadrivium (the four medieval disciplines of astronomy, geometry, medicine and theology) the figures have stood above the College since the chapel was completed in the 1690s. Now, after centuries exposed to the elements, the statues have deteriorated to the point where replacement has become necessary for safety reasons.

The College has commissioned Alex Wenham, an award-winning stone carver based in Oxford, to commence work on the replacement statues. The first polystyrene model has now been created, which will aid the carvers as they begin their work. Each statue is estimated to require two person-years of work. But as Trinity prepares for the work, those involved have uncovered an unexpected mystery surrounding the figures’ true history.

As part of planning applications, the full history of the statues has been investigated by College Archivist Clare Hopkins, working with stone conservator Alex Wenham and Oxford researcher Dr Katrin Wilhelm.

Archival records reveal that in 1822-23, the statues were removed and replaced with new figures by a local Oxford firm. (Invoice for 1823 stone mason works)

One of the original statues, representing Medicine, was placed in the President’s Garden of Trinity College, the fate of the other three original figures remains a mystery today.

Further changes took place in 1960, when the statues were again removed for restoration. At that point, three figures were returned to the tower along with the original – or partially original – Medicine figure, which was judged to be in better condition than its 19th-century replacement. This has long been considered the official account.

However, recent microscopic examination of the current statues on the tower, suggests a more complicated story. Researchers have identified multiple types of stone within individual figures, assembled in sections around internal metal supports. This raises important new questions:

Were statues mixed, repaired, or partially replaced at undocumented points?
Were original sections reused alongside later replacements?
Where did the remaining statues or stone fragments go?

Research from similar projects elsewhere reveals that historic sculptural fragments are rarely destroyed. Instead, they are often reused or relocated, sometimes ending up in gardens, walls, outbuildings, or even public spaces, far from their original setting.

Trinity College is therefore asking for the public’s help. Anyone who has seen, or has, a stone statue or fragment that could match one of these figures, is warmly encouraged to get in touch. This may include a head, torso, or carved section resembling a classical female figure, particularly if it dates from the late 17th or early 19th century or has a connection to Oxford or its surrounding area.

Any information, photographs or leads - no matter how tentative - are welcomed, as even fragments or reused pieces may be crucial to reconstructing the statues’ true history. Please email communications@trinity.ox.ac.uk with your information.

This appeal forms part of an ongoing research project to better understand the chapel tower’s sculpture, and is key to informing future conservation and planning decisions.

Trinity College hopes the search will also spark wider public interest in Oxford’s architectural heritage and the hidden journeys of historic artworks.

Trinity College

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