Two oak carved figures (but with centuries of paint) of Samson and Hercules are recorded as being in Norwich since the mid C16th. Hercules was replaced with a carved copy in the lateC19th. I’m not certain their history is well known but I understand they have moved around over the years and in early life visited the Cathedral. They have been in there current position since before the second world war and the building they front has been a dance hall (latterly a night club) and was famous amongst service men and women throughout East Anglia.
In 1993 The Norwich Museum service commissioned me to make G.R.P copies of Samson and Hercules as they had decided the originals were in a dangerous condition after Samson’s arm had fallen off revealing a very rotten interior ( the arm itself was in good shape and was found after the painted surface broke away to be finely carved and with traces of gold leaf). The figures were removed to Mile Cross council depot where over a period of 4 years I made 2/piece silicon rubber moulds in G.R.P cases. The replicas were built up in halves and contain a steel armature to support the weight of the portico though this was unnessecary as the fear of vandalism resulted in both figure being filled with concrete!