Historic sculpture in Radnor Park, Folkestone, vandalised again a year after restoration
An evocative bronze figure of St Eanswythe watches over the playing fields of Radnor Park in Folkestone, a tribute to a seventh‑century Kentish saint who founded one of the town’s earliest monastic communities. The statue, installed in 2017, was meant to anchor the park’s historic landscape and remind visitors of the region’s deep Christian roots.
In June 2024 the figure was defaced, its head removed and left exposed for more than a year. Folkestone and Hythe District Council funded a £1,300 restoration, using a mould retained by the original artist to recreate the lost piece.
A year after the repairs, the sculpture suffered a second act of vandalism on a Friday night, prompting the council to appeal for witnesses and to work with Kent Police on the investigation. The repeated damage has left officials exasperated, questioning the endless cycle of destruction.
Beyond the physical loss, the repeated attacks erode a tangible link to the town’s early Christian heritage and to the memory of a royal saint whose remains were only recently identified in the local church. The community now faces the challenge of protecting its cultural symbols while confronting the broader issue of vandalism in public spaces.