White Rabbit Memorial

Cadw's description

Location

At N end of pool in gardens on West Shore.

History

Unveiled by David Lloyd George, September 6 1933. The family of Alice Liddell, upon whom Lewis Carroll based Alice in Wonderland, spent several summers at Llandudno before building a house on the West Shore "Penmorfa" complete by August 1862; the family sold the house in 1873. The house is now part of the Gogarth Abbey Hotel. A portrait of the Liddell sisters with a background of the Great Orme exists by Sir William Richmond who stated that the family was entertained at Llandudno by Lewis Carroll reading aloud from the "Alice" stories. It became a local tradition that the stories were conceived at Llandudno. Carroll's diaries never mention a visit to Llandudno, and although Alice Liddell never challenged the tradition, her message upon its unveiling (she had been invited to unveil but claimed to be too frail), does not mention Carroll's presence at Llandudno. Michael Senior, however, has examined the evidence minutely, and concludes, on balance, that Lewis Carroll did visit Llandudno, although the stories were conceived at Oxford.

Exterior

A representation of the White Rabbit complete with his waistcoat, waistcoat pocket and watch and with tree and rabbit-hole to rear, all on a pedestal of roughly hewn blocks of stone, the southern side of the pedestal bearing a tablet with the following inscription: "On this very shore/during happy rambles with/little Alice Liddell/Lewis Carrol/was inspired to write that/Literary treatise/"Alice in Wonderland"/ which has charmed children/for generations/unveiled by/
The Rt Hon D Lloyd George OM MP Sept 6 1933". A squirrel crouches against a top corner of the tablet and a little frog or toad sits on a ledge further down. The monument has been damaged and the White Rabbit has lost his left arm, ears and bobtail. The monument has been encased in a steel cage for protection against vandalism.

Reason for designation

Early C20 monument recalling links between Alice Liddell, inspiration for character of Alice in Wonderland, with Llandudno.