Now at the head of a water feature in the Walled Garden, this 18th century statue originally stood in the middle of the lake between the island fort of Gibraltar and the Lake Temple.

For many years the statue was believed to be a representation of Nimrod the mighty hunter described in the Book of Genesis. Larchill has many associations with the hunt through stories of the famous Mr Robert Watson and the Fox’s Earth. However it is now known to be a statue of Meleager, hero of the epic Greek mythological tale of the Calydonian boar hunt. Meleager is always represented with his hunting dog and the head of the slain boar as he is here.

During the garden restoration the statue was not returned to its original position in the lake as it is protected from the elements in the Walled Garden.