Controversial Derbyshire black head carving returned to council

The Ashbourne sculpture, which is said by some to depict the head of a servant who used to visit the town with Sir Walter Raleigh, was returned to Derbyshire Dales District Council on Thursday, June 11, at 4pm.

This is two days after the authority, its legal owners, said it “expected” to have it returned.

Paul Wilson, the authority’s chief executive, has, in a meeting of the authority’s emergency committee tonight, agreed to carry out an independent review of councillor involvement in the sculpture’s removal on Monday, June 8.

Councillor Clare Gamble said in the meeting that the sculpture, which has sat on a Grade-II listed beam over St John’s Street for 200 years, and this week’s events “have turned the Derbyshire Dales into a national disgrace”.

Cllr Claire Raw said: “It has hurt residents in that area from black and ethnic communities. I am sure you (chief executive) will investigate what has happened and I am sure training will be put in place to teach the councillors involved about equality and diversity. We cannot condone this sort of behaviour.

“I am astounded that we were given this as a gift and accepted it.”

She called this week’s events involving the sculpture “disturbing and distressing”.

Cllr Paul Cruise said : “I think we have to be proactively anti-racist. I wonder if we have anything in our inventory that could be this provocative. We ought to be taking a look to make sure.

“I hope the destiny of this particular item and the decision making on that is going to come back to the district council and to seek broad consultation from minority groups as well.”

A petition to retain the black head sculpture has now gained 6,000 signatures with signatories saying it is a part of the town’s history and should be kept.