The friendly dragon, made entirely from recycled metal donated by local firms and individuals, including car parts and tools, has taken pride of place as part of the Towneley Dragon Trail.

Commissioned by the Friends of Towneley Park, the dragon was designed and built by Sarah Mae at her Great Harwood studio.

Weighing 320 kilos including its base, the sculpture took around six weeks to complete, beginning with a wire frame of round bar steel supplied by K Steels before being built up layer by layer into its final, majestic form.

Sarah Mae Francis with the brand new dragon sculpture at Towneley Park(Image: Adam Woodhouse)

Local businesses played a vital role in bringing the dragon to life.

Morris Blacksmithing supported the fabrication of the wings, horns, and teeth, Manchester Galvanizing ensured it was weatherproof, and NSG Powder Coating provided the sparkling finish with two layers of metallic powder beneath vibrant candy red, with hand-painted detailing.

The sculpture also carries a special personal touch. 

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A spanner once owned by the grandfather of Friends of Towneley Park member Judith Glover, who wrote the children’s book that inspired the trail, has been built into the design. His initials, “H.I.,” are stamped on the metal, a touching tribute to the project’s roots.

Sarah Mae Francis said, “I’m incredibly proud to have created this dragon for Towneley Park. It’s been a joy to transform recycled materials into something magical.

“I hope the Towneley Dragon Trail inspires families to explore the park and brings even more people to discover its wonderful stories and sculptures.”

The Towneley Dragon Trail invites families to collect a free trail sheet from the Towneley Hall foyer and follow a path through the park and into Thanet Lee Woods, discovering colourful dragon models, hidden silhouettes, and the new “Dragon’s Nest.”

Towneley Park hopes to raise funds for more sculptures by Sarah Mae to expand the trail.

Learn more about Sarah Mae’s work at sarahmaeart.co.uk.