Pit ponies ride high as foundry breaks mould for sculptures

THEY weigh two tonnes each, stand 4ft tall and are 6ft long from nose to tail – and they got a lorry all to themselves.

The cast-iron pit ponies were produced by Halifax-based Hargreaves Foundry for an art installation designed to reflect the industrial heritage of Blaenavon, in South Wales.

Hargreaves cast the ponies in 100 per cent recycled iron from animal sculptor Sally Matthews's full-sized plaster models by taking an impression in sand.

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Hargreaves Foundry superintendent Pete Lodge, who has been casting artworks since 1993, said: "We had to adapt our traditional processes to get the ponies' moulds to replicate as closely as possible Sally's finely-crafted models.

"Out of all the pieces I've worked on over the years, I've enjoyed this commission the most."

The pit ponies will be transported to the former mining town, which is now a World Heritage Site, after a brief appearance at the National Eisteddfod of Wales at the beginning of next month.

The installation has been paid for by a Welsh Assembly Government regeneration initiative that aims to bring new economic life to former mining communities – with the hope that the sculptures will help attract more visitors to the National Coal Museum of Wales.

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