Ed Sheeran Castle on the Hill elephant in Ipswich art trail

  • Published
Castle on the Hill elephant
Image caption,

Cate Callaghan saw 12 of the 55 elephants, including Castle on the Hill

An elephant named after Ed Sheeran's "love song" to Suffolk has been unveiled as part of a trail of 55 brightly painted sculptures in a town.

Castle on the Hill is part of Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk art trail in Ipswich, set up by St Elizabeth Hospice.

It follows the success of the Pigs Gone Wild event that raised £200,000 for the charity in 2016.

Organisers said it was "fabulous" to finally see the work in place.

Image source, St Elizabeth Hospice
Image caption,

The elephants can seen in the town centre, Christchurch Park, Holywells Parks and at the waterfront until 7 September

After its release, Sheeran described Castle on the Hill as his "love song for Suffolk", with lyrical references to Framlingham Castle.

Campaign manager Norman Lloyd said the trail was the culmination of more than three years of "hard work".

He said was "really proud" to see the sculptures "brightening up the streets and open spaces of our county town".

"There's a real buzz here," he added.

"It's good for investment in Ipswich - it's the excitement. And it's good to see people engage with each other as they look at the sculptures."

Image source, Suffolk County Council
Image caption,

The previous art trail, Pigs Gone Wild, including an Ed Sheer-Ham sculpture

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sheeran grew up in Framlingham, about 18 miles (28km) from Ipswich

Other elephants include Elmer Armstrong, Sir Elephant John, Elephantom of the Opera and Woolmer-I-Am - a reference to a woolly mammoth named Wool.i.am at Ipswich Museum.

They can seen in the town centre, Christchurch Park, Holywells Parks and at the waterfront until 7 September.

Image caption,

One of the Elmer artists, Monika Cilmi, 33, with her son

Image caption,

'Young' Elmers have been put on display in the Buttermarket shopping centre plus in other locations

One of the stars of the Pigs Gone Wild art trail was the Ed Sheer-Ham, based on the Framlingham singer Ed Sheeran, which sold for £6,200.

The art trail is organised by the hospice, which helps those with progressive and terminal illnesses, in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press.

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