The Anti-Slavery memorial at Archway

I was asked to supply some pictures for Stroud Preservation Trust's Annual Report which Rachel is preparing. I am one of the trustees and I've taken most of the pictures already, as I am the in-house photographer and picture archivist for the trust. 

One of this year's small projects was to install our newly prepared plaques on three of the properties the trust has been involved with. So I went to Archway on my way to Gloucester and took a few more photos of both the Arch and the new plaque in situ on the wall just beside it. I have added a close up as an 'Extra photo'.

From: the Stroud Preservation Trust website 
The Anti-Slavery arch
The Archway which stands on the corner of the Paganhill Estate in Stroud, and gives Archway school its name, is the only memorial of its type left in Britain, to the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies. Due to its particular historic interest, in 2007 the monument was upgraded from a Grade II listing to Grade II*. It was built in 1834 as the grand entrance to a Georgian mansion, Farmhill Park, by Henry Wyatt, 1793-1847, a wealthy local businessman associated with the Stroud Anti-Slavery Society.

In 1807 the British slave trade was abolished by Parliament and it became illegal to buy and sell slaves, although people could still own them. In 1833 Parliament finally abolished slavery itself, both in Britain and throughout the British Empire; the Arch commemorates this event. 

The anti-slavery Arch was restored in 1960-1961 by Stroud District Council at a cost of £1,000 much of which came from individual donations. By 2000 the Arch was again in need of repairs. ‘The Anti-slavery Arch Group’, led by Anne Mackintosh of Stroud Preservation Trust, raised funds of £25,000 for a community project which included major stone repairs to the arch, a bronze plaque, a leaflet, a website (www.anti-slaveryarch.com) and a community play.  Archway School used the restoration of the Arch to highlight the plight of modern slaves.