High up on the East Front of Montacute House, you can see the statues of nine figures in armour. These represent the Nine Worthies – great military leaders of history and legend who were revered throughout Europe. There are three figures from Graeco-Roman tradition, three from Hebrew tradition and three from European Christendom. Putting them roughly in chronological order, they are:
- Joshua, who led the Israelites after the death of Moses
- Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior during the Trojan War
- King David, the conqueror of Jerusalem
- Alexander the Great, founder of the Macedonian Empire
- Judas Maccabeus, who recaptured Jerusalem from the pagans
- Julius Caesar, the Roman conqueror of Gaul
- King Arthur, the legendary British leader
- Charlemagne, who reunited large parts of Dark Age Europe
- Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade
Montacute's Nine Worthies are all attired in Roman-style armour, which makes it difficult to tell them apart. However, it is reasonable to assume that the prominent central figure is the "local" man, King Arthur!
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