Lowther Castle 15,000 ceramic daffodils installation open

The daffodils are being sold to raise money for six charities

An art installation featuring 15,000 ceramic daffodils has opened.

It was crafted for the Ten Thousand Daffodils project at Lowther Castle and Gardens, near Penrith, but became so popular 5,000 more were added.

Inspired by William Wordsworth's poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, it was led by Ullswater Valley-based potter Helen Ratcliffe, and made by 500 volunteers.

The ceramic daffodils will be on display until 24 June and will be sold to raise funds for six charities.

It took three months to glaze and kiln the flowers

In the poem Wordsworth described seeing thousands of flowers "at a glance", and the words were inspired by the Ullswater Valley, close to where the castle is located.

Wordsworth was also a protégé of the first Lord Lonsdale, who built Lowther Castle in the early 1800s.

While Wordworth's poem mentions 10,000 daffodils, Ms Ratcliffe said she had been inspired by the volunteers' enthusiasm to increase the daffodil target - leading to 15,000 being made.

Inspiration was also taken from the ceramic poppies displayed at the Tower of London in 2014.

An army of 500 volunteers helped to make the daffodils

"We had over 500 volunteers help us make [the daffodils], from all types of different groups - WI's, schools, youth groups, craft groups, scouts," the potter said.

"We were ahead of schedule so we just thought we've got some more clay so we'll carry on and you know that will raise more money for the charities which is the main objective of this project.

"I just never expected to be standing here having completed a project like this. It's quite special."

The clay flowers will be on display in the castle grounds for two months

It took a team three months to glaze and kiln the flowers.

Local potter Mary Chappelhow, who was among those involved in the project, said it was "logistically very difficult" to get some of the very large daffodils in and out the kiln.

"I can't believe it, it just looks so stunning," she added.

"When you see them all just going in and out of the kiln you don't really appreciate what the end product is going to look like but seeing them all laid out, it's stunning."