THE famous lions of Llandrindod Wells will return to the town later this year, it has been confirmed.

The 22 stunning busts have sat proudly atop the town’s Grade II* listed Automobile Palace, which was built for local transport entrepreneur Tom Norton in 1911, and have patrolled the surrounding area for well over a century.

However, when a major refurbishment of the iconic building was undertaken in August last year, the lions went roaming from the rooftop and have not been seen since.

This has led to much speculation as to their whereabouts now – but the local authority has announced the lions will return to sit pride of place once again when the Auto Palace reopens in October.

The lions have disappeared off the building's roof since refurbishments began.The lions have disappeared off the building's roof since refurbishments began. (Image: Pete Roberts)

Fred Davies put the question of the lions’ location to local councillors this week, asking Pete Roberts, Josie Ewing and Jake Berriman where they are and when they will return.

“The missing lions from the Auto Palace, where are they, are they coming back and, if so, when?,” he posted on the Llandrindod Solutions Facebook page.

“Surely as a listed building they should have been back a long time ago.”

“Bring back the lions,” said Sue Hughes in response.

The number of lions vary depending on various accounts, but 22 or 23 once stood watch over the Auto Palace.

It has been reported that around 10 have returned to the roof, but half remain missing.

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“Some of them were too damaged to reinstate so they just used the best ones,” said Caroline Schofield, who volunteers at the National Cycle Museum, a long-time resident of the building.

“They had them all stored in one of the rooms, I was interested in what was happening to them too.”

Cllr Berriman provided an update on Tuesday, August 20. He said: “Officers advise that the 10 lions are being cast from an original by Midlands Masonry.

“Six are complete and two are nearly done. The team have arranged for the principal contractor to return to site in October, when they are all done, to reinstall them along [with] the plinth. We can then look to officially sign off the work and formally open the site.”

He added: “I am also advised that a planning application is being prepared for a scheme of three-storey affordable flats to rent on the adjacent site, and that a pre planning application consultation will take place early next year when local views will be sought by the housing service.”

The Automobile Palace lions will all return in time for when the building reopens in October. The Automobile Palace lions will all return in time for when the building reopens in October.

Powys County Council (PCC), which bought the Auto Palace in 2021, confirmed “the lions will be back” and would all be in place when the building officially reopens, scheduled to be October.

“Arrangements are being sorted with the main contractor to have the 10 lions back in place,” a spokesperson said.

Work to restore the former bicycle and car showroom – the oldest in Wales – was undertaken by Welshpool-based contractor SWG Group, who described the task of preserving the historic building while installing state-of-the-art modern energy efficient improvements as a “huge undertaking”.

Much of the main work on the project, which cost in excess of £3 million, was completed in March.

Nine business units have been upgraded and are now ready for use, while the National Cycle Museum and Llandrindod Jobcentre will continue to call the Auto Palace home.