New sheep sculptures installed in market square

Finishing touches have been added to five new sheep sculptures which have been installed in Shipley.

The limestone sheep, carved by sculptor Dan Jones, have taken up residence in Market Square.

The sculptures have replaced the Shipley Shopper artwork - a concrete sheep sitting on bench - which had become damaged.

Jones said: "It was really special to be able to capture something with such meaning to mark a new chapter for the market square. I hope the sculptures will be enjoyed – and played upon - by generations to come."

The sculptures, a ram, ewes and lambs were carved from solid blocks of Ancaster weatherbed limestone.

The installation references the name Shipley, which comes from Old English meaning sheep pasture.

New planting around the artwork includes a mixed shrub and herbaceous bed, with a wildflower meadow surrounding the sheep.

Chair of Shipley Towns Fund, Gill Thornton, said the "wonderful sheep sculptures" were a nod to the town's heritage in what was now a contemporary space, and the new planting was "the finishing touch in what is a really attractive feature".

The redevelopment of the market square has been delivered by Bradford Council and funded by £3m from the Government‑funded Shipley Towns Fund, part of a £25m package to regenerate the area.

A further £1m has from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Streets for People programme.

Jones' work can also be found in Bradford's Bowling Park where a statue of a mother lying on her side was unveiled in 2024.

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