Art installation will be see ten thousand ceramic daffodils 'planted' at Lowther Castle

  • ITV Border's Ciaran Fitzpatrick reporting on the exciting installation which will be planted by spring next year at Lowther Castle.


An art project at Lowther Castle plans to produce 10,000 ceramic daffodils to be planted on the castle grounds in order to raise money for five local charities.

The concept is inspired by the 2014 exhibition which saw nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies installed at the Tower of London.

Helen Ratcliffe is a potter from Dockray and she thought of the idea in discussions with Friends of the Ullswater Way.

She chose daffodils and the number 10,000 because of the famous William Wordsworth poem.

In total, 250 volunteers have already begun the grand task of creating the ceramic pieces at a special workshop in the Barns.

The installation will be in place between April and June 2023.

After the display ends the daffodils will be sold with the aim of generating £250,000 for charities.

The funds raised will be split between Another Way, Sunbeams, New Horizon Youth Centre, Friends of the Ullswater Way and Ullswater Catchment Management CIC.

In addition to the 10,000 daffodils, Helen will make ten giant daffodil heads which will be auctioned off to support a charity of the potter's choice.


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