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Pan, Spirit of the woods

Pan Statue

At the centre of the new Rose Garden stands a statue of Pan, Spirit of the Woods. This beautiful bronze statue, cast by Cashmore & Company of London, was deeded to Sheffield in 1934 by Sir Charles Clifford, former owner of The Sheffield Telegraph newspaper and founder of the Sir Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield. After the war years, Pan was placed in the Botanical Gardens, gracing the formal, Italianate-style Rose Garden developed in 1953 by the new managers, Sheffield City Council.

Pan and all his attendant animals, imps and birds are hugely popular, with favourite animals polished by generations of fingers. After 50 years of affection and weathering, however, Pan was in real need of extensive delicate care. He has been beautifully restored by a local bronze caster/sculptor, Chris Boulton; this involved many small and large scale repairs, re-attachment of birds and animals, and even re-modelling and casting features which have been missing for many years. The finished work looks wonderful in its new location at the heart of the Rose Garden.