Mother and child sculpture takes pride of place at The Countess of Chester Country Park

An eye-catching mother and child sculpture now stands proudly on the grounds of The Countess of Chester Country Park.

Wood carver Simon O’Rourke’s life-size creation was welded into position this week at the park, which is managed and maintained by national land management charity The Land Trust.

Sited in Upton, next to the Countess of Chester Hospital and CWP Bowmere Hospital, it is hoped the statue will be a welcome addition to the community park.

Euan Hall, chief executive of The Land Trust, said: “The Countess of Chester Country Park provides a haven of greenery, wildlife and footpaths enabling walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users to benefit from being active outdoors.

“The installation of a sculpture, a symbol of the family-friendly nature of the park, will provide a new sight for the public to enjoy when they come to visit.”

Simon O’Rourke said: “Knowing that one of my carvings is being used at a public park for the benefit of the community is a great feeling and I hope people will really enjoy the mother and child statue.”

The Countess of Chester Country Park was officially opened by The Duchess of Cornwall in September.

The Land Trust acquired the former landfill site from the Home and Communities Agency in 2012, along with a dowry of £650,000, used to restore the land and continue improving the space for the public over the next few years. An additional £49,350 funding was provided by WREN, a not-for-profit business that awards grants to community projects.

Working in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Property Services and Groundwork Cheshire, The Land Trust transformed the disused land.

Natural England’s Paths for Communities and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund also provided funding contributions to build paths improving the park’s connections with local destinations, including Chester town centre, the Countess of Chester Hospital, the Chester Millennium Greenway, the canal and other waterways.