Trail Opens for 40th Anniversary
A free willow sculpture trail has opened at Snugburys Ice Cream in Nantwich, Cheshire, to celebrate the farm's 40th anniversary. The trail features six willow recreations of the most popular straw sculptures from the past four decades, including a 50ft Paddington, a Dalek, a dinosaur, Peter Rabbit, and a meerkat.
Artist Sarah Gallagher-Hayes
The sculptures were created by artist Sarah Gallagher-Hayes, who has been making willow creations for 29 years, trading as Twigtwisters. "I was asked to create the sculptures for the ice cream farm's 40th anniversary," she said. "Over the past 40 years they have had a selection of largescale sculptures. The current sculpture is of Paddington standing 50ft high, I made his hat and suitcase." She added: "The sculptures are made from Somerset willow, a fantastic sustainable material. They take around two weeks to make. I use the willow like lines of a drawing to create movement and character." Gallagher-Hayes has also created work for the RHS, English Heritage, Manchester Flower Show, and TV and film sets.
Free Attraction in Wildflower Meadow
The trail is free to visit at the farm, where families can follow the path through the sunflower field, take photos, and admire the sculptures and bright yellow blooms. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Kitty Hill, who runs the attraction with sisters Hannah and Cleo after they took over the business founded by their parents Chris and Cheryl Sadler, said: "We decided with it being our 40th we would celebrate by recreating customers' favourite straw sculptures out of willow." She added: "We’re absolutely delighted to open our new sculpture trail and to welcome visitors to explore it amongst the beautiful surroundings of our wildflower meadow. The response so far has been fantastic, with many guests sharing fond memories of the sculptures from their time as our iconic straw creations. At Snugburys, we’re always looking for ways to create memorable experiences for families and visitors of all ages, and we’re proud to be able to offer the trail as a free attraction. We hope it brings joy and a smile to people's faces."
Ice Cream and Visitor Information
Families are encouraged to enjoy an ice cream as part of their visit, with the farm's latest flavour being Miso caramel and brown butter ice cream. The ice cream parlour offers flavours including pistachio, rum and raisin, Turkish delight, and cappuccino coffee. Snugburys is located on the A51 in Hurleston, just outside Nantwich in Cheshire. Well-behaved dogs are welcome if kept on leads.
