New library gargoyles shown off

The new gargoyles have been carved on the north-west wall of the library

The newest gargoyles to grace Oxford's historic buildings have been unveiled by author Philip Pullman.

Schoolchildren competed to design the nine carvings at the Bodleian Library after the originals crumbled away.

Oxford-based Mr Pullman, known for the His Dark Materials trilogy, cut the ribbon at the ceremony at 1000 BST.

As there was no historical record of the original designs, they have been replaced by images including those of fictional characters.

Some of the characters include Aslan, the lion from The Chronicles of Narnia, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee, from Through The Looking Glass.

Hundreds of children entered the competition, launched two years ago as part of the Millennium Myths and Monsters festival, celebrating 1,000 years of Oxfordshire.

Stone carvers Alec and Fiona Peever interpreted the winning designs before creating them on the north-west wall of the library, which opened in 1602.

Librarian Dr Sarah Thomas said she was "delighted" by the finished carvings.

She added: "They have been beautifully interpreted by the stone carvers who have managed to create grotesques that work as sculptures and yet still capture the original charm of the children's drawings."

Hannah Duckworth, 14, a pupil at Headington School, Oxford, whose design is based on the mythical Green Man figure, said: "I was really pleased to win. It's so exciting to see it up there.

"I chose the Green Man because the Botanic Gardens and University Parks are a big part of Oxford, and I wanted to include nature in the design."

Isobel Hughes, head of building conservation at Oxford University, said: "I hope the winners will be able to revisit their stone carvings many times, bringing their children and grandchildren to see them too."

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