QE2 Anchor Given To Southampton

The huge anchor from Southampton's famous cruise liner, the QE2, has been re-homed on the footpath in front of Holy Rood Church.

The 13 tonne anchor, given to Southampton City Council as a gift from Cunard, was lifted into place on Sunday July the 10th.

It will be celebrated with a formal opening in the late summer.

Councillor Royston Smith, Leader of Southampton City Council, said:

"Cunard's generous gift has finally been given an appropriate home in Southampton.

"Not only will it add an important heritage site to the city, it will also raise the profile of the QE2 Mile and ultimately attract more people to Southampton's Old Town.

"I look forward to formally unveiling the name plaque and opening the site with Cunard in due course."

Peter Shanks, Cunard President and Managing Director, added:

"QE2 called at her home port of Southampton more times than any other port during her long and illustrious career so it is entirely fitting for there to be such a tribute to her in her home city.

"The anchor and the designated 'QE2 Mile' will ensure that her legacy in Southampton will endure for many years to come."

The QE2 anchor has a strong connection with Southampton. Not only did the ship bring prosperity to the city but it is also a symbol of great pride as it sailed off to help in the Falkland conflict 1982.

In 1957 Holy Rood Church was dedicated as a memorial to the sailors of the Merchant Navy.

The council is turning Southampton's Old Town into a city quarter which celebrates its medieval heritage.

Holy Rood Place will create a more pedestrian friendly environment with new green bedding and will encourage al fresco dining from several of the new restaurants in the area.

Another milestone in the Old Town includes the Tudor House and Garden which opens on July 30th.

The QE2's anchor and the ship

The QE2 anchor is an extremely large and heavy object, 4.3 m high and 2.7 m wide, cast in steel and weighs 13 tonnes. It is one of two anchors that were hung below her bow rail on each side of the ship. Its design is based on a fluke design with a long vertical shank (central bar) with a flexible joint at the crown (the joint between the shank and armature) to an armature with a flat bottom and two raised flukes which aid gripping the sea bed.

The Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched on 20 September 1967 at John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. Her maiden voyage was on 2 May 1969 from Southampton to New York, and she left Southampton for the last time on 11 November 2008 to become a floating hotel in Dubai, having had a nearly 40 year association with the city.

The QE2 Mile

The QE2 Mile is the pedestrian route that runs through the heart of the city from the Cenotaph down to the waterfront at Town Quay. It links the city's parks, emerging cultural quarter, shopping high street, old town and the waterfront. It has many historical features; the Cenotaph, Titanic memorial, Holy Rood Church, the Watergate, the medieval vaults and the city's famous Bargate stands at its centre.