Tower of London poppies attract 500,000 to Lincoln Castle

The poppy arch segment, Wave, consists of 5,800 ceramic poppies

An exhibition of ceramic poppies at Lincoln Castle marking the centenary of World War One has attracted over 500,000 visitors.

The Wave, by artist Paul Cummins, was installed at the castle three months ago as part of a national tour.

His full installation, named Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, drew more than five million visitors to the Tower of London in 2014.

Each poppy represented one death in the British forces, a total of 888,246.

Lincoln was chosen to host Wave as it was a major centre for the manufacture of weapons and munitions during World War One, officials said

Jon Hogan, public engagement manager at the castle, said numbers had exceeded his wildest expectations.

He said as well as people of all ages coming to appreciated the artwork in its own right, the poppies were a fitting tribute to Lincolnshire's part in the conflict.

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Officials said the free exhibition in Lincoln, which attracted nearly 30,000 visitors in its first weekend, had led to a significant rise in visitors to the castle, which reopened last year after a multimillion-pound refurbishment.

The exhibition closes on Sunday.

The Wave was previously on display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Another section of the poppy display - known as the cascade, or Weeping Window - is on display at Black Watch Castle and Museum, in Perth, from 30 June to 25 September, and at Caernarfon Castle from 12 October to 20 November 2016.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

• The installation at the Tower of London included 888,246 ceramic poppies, representing each death in the British and Colonial forces between 1914 and 1918

• It was created by Derbyshire artist Paul Cummins and designed by Tom Piper. It was named Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red after a line written by a soldier who died in Belgium

• Wave and the Weeping Window, which together have more than 10,000 ceramic poppies, were bought for the nation last year by the charities Backstage Trust and the Clore Duffield Foundation

• A total of £9m was raised for six military service charities after most of the poppies, which were handmade in Derby, were sold to members of the public for £25 each

• The poppies installations have been organised by 14-18 NOW, the organisation behind the arts and culture programme for the UK's official World War One centenary celebrations