TWO brand-new additions to the Langmoor and Lister Gardens Sculpture Trail were unveiled.
The trail now features an eye-catching dinosaur sculpture designed by Felix Ford, and a beautiful octopus tentacle designed by Rosie Vincent, both A-Level art students from The Woodroffe School.
The striking Dinosaur, crafted in zinc-coated galvanised steel by local blacksmith and ironworker Simon Connett, and the intricately detailed Octopus, carved from Portland stone, add a fresh and imaginative edge to the existing trail, which showcases works from both professional artists and emerging talent.
Felix, Rosie and their fellow students developed their concepts under the expert guidance of local sculptor Ben Russell, a former Woodroffe pupil himself, and Simon Connett.
The collaboration gave the students the opportunity to see their creative visions brought to life in large-scale public art, an exciting first for many.
At the official unveiling, students were joined by Richard Vine, head of art and computing at Woodroffe School, mayor and chairman of the Tourism, Community and Publicity committee Cllr Philip Evans, and Cllr Cheryl Reynolds, vice-chairman of the same committee, who celebrated the growing partnership between the town council and the school.
Cllr Evans said: “This is exactly the kind of creative collaboration we want to encourage in Lyme Regis, showcasing the incredible talent in our schools while enhancing our public spaces for all to enjoy.”
He praised the commitment of Richard Vine, on his penultimate day in the role of head of art at Woodroffe, thanking him for his dedication to the school community and the many students he had encouraged to follow their artistic passions and shape their futures.
Cllr Reynolds was thrilled to see the sculptures finally installed.
She said: “It has been a really great experience working with the sixth form art class, Richard Vine and Miss Burnett, a real pleasure.
“The difficulty came when trying to choose the two sculptures for the sculpture trail, as they were all so brilliant. However, with the dinosaur and the octopus installed we can possibly do some more later.
“Thank you, Woodroffe, for such hard work and amazing results. I am really proud to have been involved.”
The dinosaur and octopus sculptures are now proudly on display in Langmoor Gardens and form part of the evolving Sculpture Trail, which continues to delight residents and visitors.
Next time you take a stroll through the gardens, keep an eye out, you might just spot something prehistoric.