The lion has been around for 2000 years but it’s easy to miss. You’ll find it on the Uni logo and they even sell little lion mascots in the union shop. But real lions are no good for student recruitment so the marketing folks don’t make a big deal of it.

Most likely, it arrived with the Romans. They certainly carved lions from stone near this spot.
No-body’s quite sure how it lasted this long but where there’s sheep, or cattle or even students, there’s always good living for a resourceful lion.

Nowadays, undergraduates are off the menu. Its roar has worn out and its teeth aren’t what they used to be. In the winter, its ragged mane grows mildew in the damp and it stalks the top floor of the library hunting for a quiet place to sleep.

So if you’re on campus, keep an eye out for this shabby old lion. Not because its dangerous but because all the grand old things of this world disappear and one day even this lion might vanish too.