FOUR new statues of famous faces will be unveiled in Worcester’s historic Cornmarket to mark the conclusion of a £500,000 revamp.

Statues of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, King Charles II, Reverend Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy – better known as Woodbine Willie – and music hall star Vesta Tilley will be officially unveiled at 11am on Thursday.

The statues were decided by a public vote, where people were asked to choose their favourites from a list of famous faces from Worcester’s past.

Each statue features a bronze cast, three dimensional figure with a strong connection the city of Worcester.

The plinths on which the figures sit include panels which reference the lives of each character portrayed and the plinths are made from materials resistant to damage and vandalism.

Worcestershire County Council commissioned and funded the statues with Worcester City Council’s Public Arts Panel.

They were produced by local company Planet Art, who worked with a number of local groups including the Hive, Stanley Road Primary School and St Paul’s Hostel, as well as Cornmarket traders and St Martins Church.

Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, Cllr Ken Pollock, said: “The Cornmarket Statues have been commissioned to celebrate the recent revival of the Cornmarket as one of Worcester’s treasured public spaces.

“We are delighted with the results of this project and very grateful to those people who took part. I am sure like us, they are looking forward to seeing their top choices immortalised in the new-look square.

“This part of town is already seeing a second renaissance and these statues will greatly enhance the character of the Cornmarket.They are sure to be a talking point for residents and visitors.”

Cllr Paul Denham, mayor of Worcester, added: “Strong evidence that William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were married here in Worcester’s Cornmarket will come as a revelation to many people.

“These new statues will definitely help to draw more people in to explore the city’s rich and diverse heritage.”

The revamp of the Cornmarket is part of the first phase of the county council’s Worcester Transport Strategy and has been developed jointly with Worcester City Council.

It involves reconstruction of Queen Street (south), New Street (north) and the Cornmarket, new lighting and street furniture, and revised loading and parking arrangements.

More information about the scheme can be found at worcestershire.gov.uk/cornmarket.