"Jubilee Arch UnveiledPosted by Town Clerk on 28th November 2012
Knutsford unveiled its lasting tribute to the diamond jubilee of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 23rd November with the opening of the Jubilee Arch. The archway was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs and the ceremony was attended by members of the public and councillors.
Town Mayor Vivien Davies said “it was with great pleasure that we welcomed the Lord Lieutenant to open our Jubilee Arch. We understand that we were one of the few towns to erect a lasting tribute in memory of the Queen’s Jubilee, and are incredibly proud to be doing so.”
The Arch was designed by local artist Christine Wilcox-Baker “I feel very honoured to have been commissioned to create this piece of work for Knutsford, having lived here for several years before moving to Pickmere. The brief was to make the archway celebratory for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, but also relevant to Knutsford.”
Christine carried out some research and chose to feature two horses on the arch – depicting the Queen’s love for horses and referencing to the race course which was historically on the Heath and the horses used in the Royal May Day parade. “Also included are diamonds and bunting, many of which we have seen all around Knutsford this year – six of each can be viewed from either side of the archway, one for each decade. Working with such gifted craftsmen as Dave Broadbent and his team, has been very special as has working with Cllr Jan Nicholson and the Town Council.”
The arch was funded through generous donations from Crown Estates and Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund, and the project was overseen by the Town Council’s Environment Committee. Wendy Sinfield the Community Relations Manager at Manchester Airport said “We hope that the archway to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will become a landmark for the community of Knutsford and become a legacy in the area for years to come.
Town Mayor, Vivien Davies added “We would like to thank the generous donations from Crown Estates and Manchester Airport who funded the Arch and we were very pleased to have Steve Melligan from Crown Estates who had travelled up from Southampton just to be with us on the day.”
“The Town Council hopes that everyone appreciates the work of everyone involved in the project, and we hope that all will enjoy seeing the Arch as they walk to the Library.” " SOURCE: (
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Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. (
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Commemorative events were held throughout the Commonwealth of Nations to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh toured the United Kingdom and other members of the Royal Family toured the rest of the Commonwealth as representatives the monarch.