Lady in a niche

This charming sculpture is to be found tucked away in a niche, almost out of sight, in Keele Hall, the mansion that is the oldest part of Keele University.

It has no attribution or labelling.
I was rather wondering who the sculptor was, but no one seemed to know.

Venerable old hall

I guess Keele Hall is a welcoming sight for the fresh-faced new students at Keele University as they turn up for their first week. I suppose it might remind them that a university education has been prized as something precious for many centuries.

However, actually, the university itself is a modern one, founded in 1951, so the rest of the university's buildings are the usual concrete stuff. This old mansion is simply the centre of the former landed estate, which was taken over by the education authorities in the 1940s. The hall is used for some teaching rooms though.

Still, it’s nice for those students to have something old and venerable around, something that is different to the concrete and glass on the rest of the campus.