Cornwall gardens turn storm-felled tree into pouncing fox sculpture

A tree that was blown down during a winter storm has been turned into a 6m (19.7ft) sculpture of a pouncing fox at a Cornish gardens.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan unveiled Lowarnes – Cornish for vixen – which was made from the wood of a 150-year-old Cornish Red rhododendron.

Staff from Heligan helped hand-split 600 pieces of wood for the pouncing fox’s fur, under the direction of Cornish brother and sister artists Sue and Pete Hill and Hal Silvester.

Laura Smit-Chesterfield, director of visitor experience at the gardens, said the sculpture was “a glorious celebration of Heligan’s wildlife”.

The tree predated World War One, a spokesperson said.

“As the sculpture ages, the wood will fade to a lighter, more silvery tone which reflects what happens to vixens’ fur after they have become mothers,” they said.

The sculpture is accompanied by a collection of Heligan-inspired poetry from poet laureate Simon Armitage, with both works “highlighting and celebrating the wildlife who make Heligan their home”, Heligan said.

Ms Hill said Armitage’s poem, Den, “speaks so powerfully of the wild, feral nature of foxes”.

She said a photograph of a pouncing fox taken on the Heligan estate by Andy Wilson was the artists’ “core inspiration”.

“Lowarnes has her gaze set on you as her prey,” she added.