![\"Wood](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_JRR_MGA_201225seals_-1.jpg\")
Wood sculptor Ste Iredale with the seals(Image: Redcar & Cleveland Council)<\/p>\nThe new seal sculptures were installed on York Road Roundabout, Coatham, RedcarWood sculptor Ste Iredale with the seals(Image: Redcar & Cleveland Council)<\/p>\n
The wooden seals of Redcar have been recreated and once again have pride of place in the town. Well-known artist Ste Iredale, of Staithes<\/a>, North Yorkshire<\/a>, has recreated the three sculptures after the originals deteriorated over the years.<\/p>\n The new seal sculptures were installed on Friday morning, December 19, on York Road Roundabout, Coatham<\/a>, Redcar<\/a> \u2013 a road many visitors take on the way to the beach. They will be lit up by solar lights and this time the seals have been made of more robust red cedar wood so they will last for generations to come.<\/p>\n The new sculptures were commissioned after one of the originals, created by Ste Iredale in 2011 from sycamore, collapsed due to rot. A further two were in very bad shape and have also been replaced. A fourth newer sculpture, added in 2017, is still in place but is to be restored and treated to give it a longer life.<\/p>\n Steve Iredale, who created the seals using a chainsaw, oversaw their installation today. He said: \u201cI love the reaction these sculptures have had all these years. I can\u2019t remember who came up with the idea for seals, but for obvious reasons you can\u2019t go above a metre on roundabouts and basking seals are perfect. What makes them special is the way people interact with them. So, at Christmas they\u2019ll be in festive gear and during the pandemic they had masks on. There\u2019s also going to be a film about them which is just brilliant to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Another resident who dresses up the seals is 16-year-old Oliver Donnelly who lives nearby. Speaking on the roundabout as the sculptures were being made secure, Oliver explained he and his grandmother, Gillian Conray, had already provided a Santa hat and tinsel for one of the seals. On other occasions the pair have dressed them in Halloween attire and even a mask in the Covid pandemic. \u201cIt\u2019s brilliant to see them back where they belong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cllr Carl Quartermain, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, who is also a Coatham councillor, was at the installation this morning. He said: \u201cIt was sad to see the seals looking so poorly after giving such pleasure for so many years and it\u2019s going to be glorious to see them back to full splendour. It\u2019s also exciting that a film is being made about the project by Neil Bates, well known for his former role at the Regent Cinema. I can\u2019t wait to see it. I\u2019d also like to mention my colleague, Cllr Lynne Rynn, who has pushed for the seals to be returned. I\u2019d also like to thank everyone involved , including those with the original vision for the sculptures back in 2011.\u201d<\/p>\n Cllr Adam Brook, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, explained the council was also replacing the solar light system on the roundabout to the same system currently used on The Stray seafront from Marske<\/a> to Redcar. He said: \u201cThe seals have become part of the identity of Coatham in Redcar with people knowing they\u2019re really at the seaside when they see the seals. And, of course, the children of the area have to see the seals bedecked once again in tinsel at Christmas. I\u2019d like to congratulate the hugely talented Steve Iredale and everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n For the latest Teesside news direct to your inbox every day, sign up to our free newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Teesside Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.<\/p>\n Through the app, we’ll send you the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.<\/p>\n To join our community group, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’<\/a>.<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Teesside Live<\/a> team.<\/p>\n We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like.<\/p>\n To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_JRR_MGA_201225seals_-6.jpg\")
The wooden seals of Redcar have been recreated and once again have pride of place in the town(Image: Redcar & Cleveland Council)<\/p>\n![\"Resident](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_JRR_MGA_201225seals_-3.jpg\")
Resident Oliver Donnelly, 16, with the sculptures he and his grandmother decorate(Image: Redcar & Cleveland Council)<\/p>\n![\"Councillors](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_JRR_MGA_201225seals_-2.jpg\")
Councillors Carl Quartermain and Lynne Rynn see the sculptures returned to the roundabout(Image: Redcar & Cleveland Council)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_JS224716586.jpg\")
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