Brereton Bear, Cheshire

A 5 tonne Portland limestone Bear lives in the grounds of Brereton Hall in Cheshire. The Brereton family crest contains a muzzled bear, representing Lord Brereton’s contribution to the lucrative “sport” of bear baiting.

The owners of the Hall, after an extensive period of restoration, decided the finishing touch to the project would be the installation of a huge bear to point visitors to the hall. The client being an animal lover was adamant that the bear should not be muzzled, but if you look closely, you will notice the strap around the muzzle is set quite far back, giving the bear a very good advantage.