02 Jan 08

From the smiling Cheshire cat to scowling Gollum, scores of children’s designs for gargoyles are to be displayed in one of the country’s best known libraries. More than 50 gargoyle drawings are to be exhibited in the Proscholium at the entrance of the Bodleian Library from 2 January to 15 January.

The gargoyle designs were entered by children, aged between eight and 18, for the Millennium Myths and Monsters competition, which was launched by Oxford University to celebrate 1,000 years of Oxfordshire. The University received nearly 500 entries from across the county.

The winners were asked to find ideas based on one of three themes – myths, monsters or people that have a historical connection with Oxfordshire within the last millennium. The University has to replace the original gargoyles because they are extensively damaged and there are no historical records of what they once looked like.
 
As well as the winning gargoyle designs, there is a selection of the best entries which include representations of characters from a variety of books penned by Oxford authors: ‘Gollum’ created by JRR Tolkien; the Cheshire cat, the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland created by Lewis Carroll; and even Morse, the central figure in Colin Dexter’s detective novels. As well as fictional characters, there are images of the ox (Oxford was created at the location of the ford across the River Thames where oxen would cross) and Sir Winston Churchill, born at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.
 
The competition judges were sculptor Martin Jennings; Director of Oxford Preservation Trust, Debbie Dance; Bodley’s Librarian, Dr Sarah Thomas; and Oxford University Head of Building Conservation, Isobel Hughes.
 
Bodley’s Librarian, Dr Sarah Thomas, said: ‘We were so swept away by the imagination and quality of the designs that we felt we should stage an exhibition to let the public see the inspired ideas dreamed up by local children. I am delighted that so many of the drawings were based on their favourite characters from books written by Oxford authors.’