George Eliot in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England

John Letts sculpted the bronze statue of George Eliot (1819-80) which was erected in Newdegate Square, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, in 1986.

The facial representation is flattering.

'GEORGE ELIOT

1819 - 1880

BORN AT ARBURY, NUNEATON

UNVEILED BY JONATHAN G. OUVRY

PRESIDENT OF THE GEORGE ELIOT FELLOWSHIP

GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON OF G. H. LEWES.

MARCH 22nd. 1986

ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION'

'THE MAJOR WORKS OF GEORGE ELIOT

1857-8 SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE

1859 ADAM BEDE

1860 THE MILL ON THE FLOSS

1861 SILAS MARNER

1862-3 ROMOLA

1866 FELIX HOLT, THE RADICAL

1871-2 MIDDLEMARCH'

'MARY ANN EVANS (GEORGE ELIOT),

NOVELIST, JOURNALIST, ESSAYIST AND POET

LIVED AT GRIFF HOUSE [COVENTRY ROAD] UNTIL 1840
WHEN SHE MOVED TO COVENTRY AND LATER TO LONDON.

'FROM 1854 TO 1878 SHE LIVED WITH G. H. LEWES

WHO ENCOURAGED HER TO WRITE FICTION. HER

NOVELS BROUGHT HER WORLD WIDE FAME.

'IN MAY 1880 SHE MARRIED J. W. CROSS AND DIED

IN DECEMBER AT 4. CHEYNE WALK, CHELSEA.

'SHE IS BURIED IN HIGHGATE CEMETERY, LONDON.'

The George Eliot Memorial Gardens were opened in 1952.

The obelisk was originally at Arbury Park, but was moved on the opening of the gardens.

'GEORGE

ELIOT

1819-1880'

'MARY ANN EVANS

BORN AT SOUTH

FARM ARBURY

22 NOV 1819'

'DIED THE WIFE

OF JOHN WALTER

CROSS AT 4

CHEYNE WALK

CHELSEA

22 DEC 1880'

On a stone in front of the obelisk are the large initials 'GE' with her date of her birth and death bottom left.

The George Eliot Hotel in Bridge Street was a coaching inn called the the Bull Hotel, and features in 'Janet's Repentance' in Eliot's Scenes of Clerical Life as the Red Lion.

The inn sign shows Frederick William Burton's representation of Eliot.

The Felix Holt in Stratford Street, Nuneaton, is one of the very few pubs named after a book.

The town of Milby in 'Janet's Redemption' is based on Nuneaton, and the parish church features in it. 

In the story, the character Dempster is based on the lawyer John Buchanan, whose tomb is in the churchyard by King Edward Street.