A NEW sculpture celebrating the local agricultural heritage is set to be unveiled in the Yorkshire Dales town of Hawes tomorrow.

The sculpture - by local chainsaw artist, Andris Bergs - is of a farmer with two sheep, four lambs and a sheepdog and will be installed on a traffic island at Town Foot

Andris believes the work will have a huge impact as it is to be prominently sited on the traffic islands on the A684 as visitors and locals alike approach the town from the east.

The farmer stands 8ft and the animals are slightly larger than life-sized. The Sculptures all came from the same tree - an elm from the Swinithwaite estate.

From waste and reclaimed timbers, from sawmills and woodyards, he produces life-like carvings of natural forms

The work was commissioned by Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council. Organisations providing funding for the work include the parish council, Wensleydale Business Association and Tourism Association, Wensleydale Creamery and the Upper Wensleydale Newsletter.

Since training in forestry at Plumpton Agricultural College in Sussex, Andris has developed his own particular style of sculpture.

From waste and reclaimed timbers, from sawmills and woodyards, he produces life-like carvings of natural forms using little more than a chainsaw.

Using naturally durable, locally grown timber ensures that every piece will age over time, developing their own unique character and blending well into their surroundings be it home or garden.

The sculpture will be unveiled by John Blackie tomorrow, May 5, at 12.30pm