Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
11 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
14 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
17 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Basingstoke Wote Street Willy

Wote Street Willy

A sincere and thoughtful art installation, mistaken by many as a statue of a penis.

Basingstoke, England

Added By
KanaKiseki
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Wote Street Willy on Wote street, outside of Plush   Amy Hoang Anh Johnson
Wote Street Willy on Wote street, outside of Plush   Amy Hoang Anh Johnson
The sculpture, view of the mother cradling the baby on the side of it.   Amy Hoang Anh Johnson
Mother holding the baby   Amy Hoang Anh Johnson
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The largest statue of a penis on public display in Britain, this nine-foot-tall granite stone sculpture has been delighting Basingstoke residents for 25 years. Beneath the superficial and boisterous humor, however, the sculpture has a deeper artistic intention. 

Erected in 1994, the Wote Street Willy, formally known as Church Stone, is an artwork that portrays a mother protectively crouching over her child in a prayer. Sculptor Michael Peglar intended the piece to provide calm amidst the town center’s hustle and bustle.  

Commissioned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for £25,000, Peglar incorporates carefully designed symbolic features that contribute to its artistic significance. As a symbol of the town’s proximity to the Roman settlement of Silchester, the artwork can be seen as an amphora water jug from that period despite its phallic shape. Peglar described the piece as "a monumental piece of granite that forces people to think about their own mortality and spirituality—a calming, tranquil, static image."

Due to its accidental resemblance to the male genitalia, the sculpture caused controversy and prompted discussions within the community. Unfazed, Peglar acknowledges the local nickname for his sculpture and emphasizes that interpretations of art are subjective and personal. He stated, "I don't have any problem with the name Wote Street Willy—I think it's nice. It shows the people of the town have adopted the sculpture as their own."

Despite the humourous reception, in 2002, the sculpture faced the prospect of relocation when the deputy leader of the council at the time suggested it clashed with the image of Festival Place. Fortunately, the proposal was never executed, and the sculpture remains a jovial but prominent artwork on Wote Street. 

Related Tags

Sculptures Art Outside Phallic Statues

Know Before You Go

On Google Maps it is known as the Church Stone. When you exit Festival Place onto Wote Street, it is just ahead. The sculpture is in the middle of the street next to the nightclub Plush. 

Community Contributors

Added By

KanaKiseki

Published

March 28, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5608541.artist-defends-sculpture/
  • https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/18516356.story-behind-wote-street-willy-basingstokes-25-000-9ft-statue/
Wote Street Willy
13 Wote St
Basingstoke, England, RG21 7NE
United Kingdom
51.263615, -1.08638
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Jane Austen Statue

Basingstoke, England

miles away

Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake

Basingstoke, England

miles away

The Blue Plaque of Mrs Blunden

Basingstoke, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Basingstoke

Basingstoke

England

Places 7

Nearby Places

Jane Austen Statue

Basingstoke, England

miles away

Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake

Basingstoke, England

miles away

The Blue Plaque of Mrs Blunden

Basingstoke, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Basingstoke

Basingstoke

England

Places 7

Related Places

  • Hörby, Sweden

    'Multiplera Skåne'

    Unexpectedly standing in a glade, this large group of life-sized, 3D-printed clay figures captures the essence of local young people.

  • Glenelg, Australia

    Sesquipedalian Sea Squirt

    A controversial interactive sculpture that "weeps" water.

  • Manchester, England

    'A New Broom'

    This statue of an everyday cleaning tool sits proud upon a plinth in Manchester's coolest quarter.

  • Bolton, North Carolina

    Grahamland Attractions

    Hundreds of fiberglass structures line the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

  • Odense, Denmark

    'Kløvet sten' ('Split Stone')

    After attracting attention for nearly three decades while standing in front of a church, this phallic stone sculpture is now tucked away in a campus backyard.

  • The Naked Truth

    St. Louis, Missouri

    'The Naked Truth'

    In the Compton Hill Reservoir Park sits a statue whose lack of clothing caused a scandal for the group that commissioned it.

  • A bronze fast of a female face atop a pedestal with a lighthouse in the background

    New York, New York

    Girl Puzzle Monument

    An art installation commemorates journalist Nellie Bly's undercover reporting inside a New York asylum.

  • ‘The End’ by Heather Phillipson, 2020.

    London, England

    The Fourth Plinth

    Originally meant to hold a statue of King William IV, this support sat empty for years. Today, it hosts a rotating cast of public artwork.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.