Rotherham: Plans for sculpture celebrating town's heritage unveiled

The sculpture is said to have been inspired by the camellias at nearby Wentworth Woodhouse

Plans for a new floral-themed sculpture celebrating Rotherham's "rich industrial heritage" have been unveiled.

Inspired by the camellias brought to Wentworth Woodhouse in the 18th Century, the sculpture by James Capper is planned for the town.

The 26ft (8m) tall statue, named Camellia, features petals that react to the movement of light.

It has been jointly funded by Arts Council England and local businesses.

The work has been commissioned by Gallery Town - a creative open air art project.

'Modern world'

Its chair, Nick Cragg, said: "Camellia is, without a doubt, Gallery Town's most ambitious project to date.

"We wanted to create a work that would inspire, enthuse and even challenge our perceptions of the world around us, and James' work certainly fulfils this challenging brief," he said.

Camellia has been fabricated by apprentices working at Brinsworth-based MTL Advanced Ltd, who have spent more than three months working with the sculptor.

Mr Cragg said the project had enabled youngsters to make their mark "on a truly unique" piece of art, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

According to Mr Capper, he was inspired by the important contributions the town had made "towards shaping the modern world", including the Rotherham plough, which was handled by two horses and one person, and helped to spark the Industrial Revolution.

"Cutting-edge research and development" continued within the borough today, he added.

"My work has often been inspired by nature and explores the relationship between engineering and the natural world in sculptural forms," Mr Capper said.

"I wanted to draw on the town's rich cultural and industrial heritage and beautiful green spaces to create a sculpture that I hope people visiting, living or working in the town will feel proud of."

The sculpture also drew inspiration from the camellias at nearby Wentworth Woodhouse, which is the subject of one of the UK's biggest heritage restoration projects.

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