Drivers stopping to photograph giant sculpture of naked Yoxman near A12 in Suffolk

The Yoxman sculpture in Suffolk can be seen by drivers on the A12. Copyright: PA
The Yoxman sculpture in Suffolk can be seen by drivers on the A12. Credit: The Yoxman sculpture in Suffolk can be seen by drivers on the A12.

A 26ft-tall bronze sculpture of a naked man built near a busy road in Suffolk is attracting the attention of drivers.

Motorists regularly stop to take photographs of the eight-tonne artwork called The Yoxman which is visible from the A12.

However, claims that the statue in Cockfield Hall in Yoxford is distracting for drivers have been denied by the parish council.

Russell Pearce, chairman of Yoxford Parish Council, said: "I think it's great. There's a lay-by beside it and people do stop and take photographs of it.

"They pull into the lay-by, stop, take photographs and drive on. You can see it as you drive past.

"I suppose if somebody had never seen it before perhaps it could be distracting, but I don't see it as a problem personally. I've not witnessed any issues."

Mr Pearce said there had been "a lot of good feedback in the village", adding: "A few people don't like it, but then you're not going to please everybody."

The Yoxman sits in the grounds of Cockfield Hall in Suffolk. Credit: PA

Sculptor Laurence Edwards, who lives in the village, said when the statue was unveiled in November: "Yoxman is a beacon of local identity and a frame of reference for an evolving relationship with the landscape.

"He's kind of like a revenant, a visitor from the past that's come back, musing on an unrecognisable environment and contemplating its future.

"The sculpture also marks a transforming moment on the River Yox's journey through the lowlands of East Suffolk, before it flows - as the Minsmere - out into the North Sea."

The Yoxman was created at Edwards's nearby studio and foundry in Halesworth.

  • The Yoxman's story: Watch Rob Setchell's report