He’s been watching over shoppers on Coney Street since 1778, but in recent years he’s been missing in action.
But now York’s beloved Little Admiral is back.
The iconic carved wooden figure that famously stood atop the historic clock outside St Martin-le-Grand Church has returned to the city centre following a painstaking rescue mission by experts.
He was taken down a few years ago amid fears he was being eaten alive by deathwatch beetles.
However, scientists have revealed it wasn’t bugs that nearly destroyed him – it was simply the brutal British weather.
Experts from York Archaeology were brought in to save the 248-year-old figure. To make sure no pests were hiding inside, they actually froze the admiral before putting him through an X-ray machine to check his internal iron skeleton.
Morgan Creed, senior conservator for York Archaeology, said: “Whilst it was encouraging to see that the ironwork was still in good condition, the wood itself had been somewhat battered by the elements, with deep cracks appearing.
“Protective paintwork had failed, allowing fungi to penetrate and start breaking down the wood from within.”
The restoration team stripped away old repairs – including screws and glues– and filled the deep cracks to make the structure stable again.
They even uncovered the original 18th-century colour scheme, repainting him using traditional linseed paints and applying fresh, glittering gold leaf to restore him to his full majesty.
Because the original wooden statue is now so fragile, he won’t be going back outside to brave the York rain. Instead, he has been given a safe new home inside St Martin-le-Grand Church on Coney Street, where you can now see him up close.
But don’t worry, the clock won’t be left empty forever.
Anthony Hammersley, church warden of St Helen with St Martin, explained that the admiral has been digitally scanned to create a high-tech replica.
He said: “The images are to be used to create a bronze cast version of the Little Admiral to sit atop the clock once again – something that will resist even the hottest sun and coldest winter.”
The incredible rescue project was funded by the Feoffees of St Martins and St Helens, primarily through a grant from the Potter Kirby Trust, a charity set up in memory of local figure George Arthur Potter-Kirby.
Next time you are walking down Coney Street, pop your head into St Martin’s to welcome the city’s favourite little sailor back home.
