A wooden carving of a horse has been created in Alderley Edge Park by talented artist Ed Pilkington.
It took the father of four two days to carve the sculpture from the tree stump, using a chainsaw.
Ed came up with the idea of creating a horse after the tree was damaged in a storm last year and had to be cut down. He lives in the village with his wife Sue and four children, aged 5, 8, 10 and 12, and thought it would be a welcome additional to his local park.
He said "I decided to ask Cheshire East Council for permission to do it because it is our local park and it was such a nice piece of timber. Hopefully it will be here for ages and ages."
Speaking about why he chose to carve a horse, Ed said "The tree stump just had that sort of shape coming out of the ground and a lot of people said was it going to be a horse beforehand, so that must have seen it as well."
Ed, who is a Ranger at Cheshire East Council, has been carving since 1999 and has created up to a thousand different sculptures since then - including a squirrel at Alderley Edge Community Primary School and the hares at Hare Hill.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
It was Ed's idea to do it. He did not want paying for it, so it is a free present.
The CE Parks Officer (Marianne Hodgkinson) was very supportive and for what its worth, so was I.
Most people I've spoken to think it is an improvement to the park.
Once the oils etc. have dried into the wood, the barrier tape will be removed.
Little children are very welcome to 'ride the horse'.