{"id":514064,"date":"2026-04-05T10:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T10:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/514064\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T10:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T10:47:11","slug":"graiggoch-rambo-a-four-tonne-limousin-bull-near-carlisle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/514064\/","title":{"rendered":"Graiggoch Rambo: a four\u2011tonne Limousin bull near Carlisle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n In abstract form, the metal skeleton somehow manages to capture the solid form of a Limousin. But it\u2019s not just any bull, this is Graiggoch Rambo, which sold at Carlisle<\/a> Mart in 2022 for a world record breaking \u00a3189,000.\n<\/p>\n

\n Its form has been captured for posterity by Cumbrian Ellie Barden, a Penrith<\/a>-born, 35-year-old artist, now living in Knock, who has been commissioned by Cumberland Council<\/a> to produce the sculpture for Briscoe roundabout on Carlisle\u2019s new southern link\u00a0road.\n<\/p>\n

\n The bull, and a horse with foal destined for another roundabout, are the latest commissions for Ellie as her eight-year-old business moves up a gear.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018When I was at Appleby Grammar School, I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do, I was a bit lost and nothing was standing out,\u2019 she\u00a0recalls.\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n \u2018I\u2019d always had horses so, at 19, I decided I wanted to be a farrier and started looking into that \u2013 how to use a forge and make tools. But I\u2019d always been artistic so followed that path instead.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I knew about Chris Brammall, at CB Arts, at Ulverston, and did a four-year apprenticeship before I took a break to work with children in care, and for a brewery. But I found working for someone else nine-to-five didn\u2019t make me happy.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018It wasn\u2019t that I didn\u2019t want to work, but I needed to create an opportunity to flourish and be creative and it fell into place, working for myself and creating opportunities for people who feel similar to me. Being on the shop floor at 8am every day Monday to Friday serves a purpose, but I am now trying to keep both, running a business and being an artist.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Ellie started working two days a week for well-known metalwork sculptor Andrew Kay, at his forge near Kirkby Lonsdale.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018He\u2019s a great guy with a good outlook on life,\u2019 she says. \u2018So, I became self-employed, started Grace Forge and slipped into running my own business comfortably.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n Grace Forge, after her middle name, nestles in a vaulted stone workshop within the medieval Brougham Castle, two miles southeast of Penrith.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018The council came to Andy [Kay] with the idea of making the bull, but he didn\u2019t want to tackle something so massive, so handed it on to me,\u2019 says Ellie. \u2018Andy taught me such a lot about shape and movement and is such a fabulous person that, by doing this, I am passing on his legacy for other people to take forward.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I was nervous about Andy seeing the bull as he has been my motivator. What if he didn\u2019t like it? But he told me I had got it right, had captured the shape and the power and kindly said that he thought it was better than he would have done. Having him cheer me on is so lovely and gives me confidence. He has inspired me to do well so I can offer a chance for other people to become creative and express themselves.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Ellie works at the forge with her friend, Sian Comerford, 37, of Penrith, who has a background in project development and is training to be a psychotherapist.\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n \u2018The council has been so supportive, too, and has taken a chance on a small business to help it grow. I think they really liked the story behind the forge \u2013 a small business based in a castle, run by women, which is unique. For us, it is a huge opportunity.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n As well as Rambo the Limousin, a French variety bred and improved in Cumbria for generations, Ellie has also been commissioned to make a similarly sized horse and foal for the Durdar roundabout near Carlisle Racecourse, formed from 240 metres of 120mm x 12mm flat bar British steel, supplied by Carlisle firm, Thomas Graham and Sons, cut up and bent to shape.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018The council looked at the roundabouts and decided the scale of the sculptures,\u2019 says Ellie. \u2018They will be massive and imposing and will sit on a raised area on both roundabouts.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018They will be a silhouette but you can see the muscle lines, so they are a lot more striking. The size was limited by the motorway bridges they will have to pass under to get to the sites.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018They will rust and take on an organic patina with the layer of rust actually forming a barrier against the weather. I have a rough sketch of the sculptures but get the proportions right just one bar at time. I just hold up the cold forged steel and see if it looks right for a measure. Once it gets to a certain height, it\u2019s a case of doing it by eye.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018We do need to add structural integrity, as it needs this for strength, but we also have to ensure it remains artistic and looks good.\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n \u2018It\u2019s about creating a sense of the animal that is stoic, level, solid, steady and watchful.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n With the horses, which are made from lighter 80mm x 12mm steel, Ellie says she has a greater sense of showmanship and flair.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I can play with arched necks to give them sass,\u2019 she says. \u2018They are still five metres high but they only weigh three tonnes and the foal will have a lower back, but her head will be up.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018It has been a rollercoaster. Some days you are on a roll. You can see in your mind what you want and it flows together because you are in the zone. Then, at other times, it starts to look like a cartoon character. You try different things and it doesn\u2019t work. You become critical and nitpick, and you have to stop.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018So much visualisation goes on and sometimes you have to put a line in so you are not working with fresh air. This scale is quite a new experience for me, and you need two people to manage each piece of steel.\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n \u2018You can\u2019t just clamp it anywhere and you have to hold and weld. Sometimes it\u2019s hard to put into words what I have in my head, but Sian is particularly good at getting it.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018My dad, Tony, has an engineering background and is wonderful. I couldn\u2019t have done this without him and my mum, Karin, has the big brain to do all the numbers. Then there\u2019s my partner, Sean Clarke, who is a very capable human being and has been a great help to me.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Ellie describes the pieces as a \u2018beast\u2019, literally and metaphorically. \u2018I\u2019m used to making small animals where it is easier to manoeuvre the steel. Being so big and heavy adds a challenge to keep the flow. It slows everything down. You have to appreciate that it takes the time it takes.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018When you come into an industry that isn\u2019t the norm for a female, you realise that you have been given an opportunity that you want to really make the most of and do a good job. You know the piece is going to be there for years and years, so you worry if it isn\u2019t right.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018So, I have a sleep, a cup of tea, I have a word with myself and I know it is going to be fine.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Working at the back of the castle also puts Ellie in the public eye. \u2018Brougham Castle is such a public space and people watch us work,\u2019 she says. \u2018We try to keep ourselves to ourselves, but it has been out there from day one and it is really obvious. We are a small business and have this huge thing for the world to see, an heirloom. It\u2019s going to last a long time, so it is important for me to create something I am happy and comfortable with.\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n \u2018I\u2019m making something that people will find joy in. I feel this is part of my history and who I am. Quite a few people have said it is like having our own Angel of the North.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018It reflects Cumbria\u2019s agriculture, nature and the fact people work so hard to look after their animals. Trying to capture all of that in one sculpture is quite a responsibility. Hopefully, it will become a conversation starter or a landmark. People will say \u201cturn off at the bull\u201d.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Ellie also has to be mindful of what comes next to sustain her business and expand to provide opportunities for others. \u2018I am still getting other commissions and, thankfully, Sian is fabulous with the paperwork, as I can\u2019t do everything,\u2019 she says.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I\u2019d love to get a commission to make something outrageous for someone\u2019s front lawn or for the community and we need to network more to keep this momentum moving forwards. We have to make this happen, we have to make this work.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Her other commissions have seen her create gates for a croft in Scotland showing the landscape of the mountain ranges, Herdwick sheep railings for customers in Keswick and balcony railings that grow into a treehouse at Lazonby. She has also completed floral gates \u2013 a Gothic inspired archway that uses stained glass-like leadwork.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018Everything is made in natural or architecturally inspired ways that makes it fit in with the space so it looks like it belongs,\u2019 she says. \u2018It is nice to work with people and give them ideas that they will enjoy.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018If we are doing well then it would be nice to create opportunities for other people.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I\u2019d like to take on apprentices to share my creativity and show them it\u2019s not always about the old-fashioned way of working for other people who are looking to do something a bit different. There is so much work out there for everyone.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

\n Find out more at: graceforge.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In abstract form, the metal skeleton somehow manages to capture the solid form of a Limousin. But it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":514065,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-514064","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-design","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}