A giant seahorse sculpture has been installed in a Pembrokeshire seaside town, causing locals to remark that it is ‘one hell of a sculpture’.

The five metre stainless steel seahorse, created by artist Gideon Peterson, has been mounted on a block of Preseli bluestone on the Marine Walk in Fishguard.

It was installed today, Thursday, November 28.

The sculpture is part of the Art Afoot sculpture trail designed to increase footfall to the twin towns of Fishguard and Goodwick.

The project aims to increase a sense of pride in place for local communities as well as promoting economic revival.

The trail will be an opportunity to celebrate the distinctive history, culture and stories of the area and make an appealing attraction for local people and tourists alike.

(Image: Western Telegraph)

The new trail forms part of a wider regeneration drive funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to encourage vibrant town centres.

The giant seahorse has been created by Pembrokeshire artist Gideon Peterson at his workshop in Clunderwen, he said today that it was great to see it in situ and he hoped that it would become something synonymous with Fishguard.

The giant seahorse certainly has the wow factor, leading one local resident who saw it being installed to comment ‘it is one hell of a sculpture’.

It was created after a series of local public engagement events asking locals of all ages what they would like to see on the sculpture trail.

The initial application to instal the sculpture caused some controversy with one resident writing to Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning department to say that it would be ‘overbearing, out of context and character, and does not complement existing artwork’.

It also raised concerns about potential noise, loss of privacy and a shift in the meaning of space.

(Image: Western Telegraph)

Fishguard & Goodwick Town Council raised concerns about the maintenance of the sculpture and there was also concern raised about safety relating to the design, with the fear that people may climb the sculpture and possible injury on its ‘sharp protrusions’.

Planners heard that Pembrokeshire County Council would be responsible for maintenance and that the sculpture will be covered by public liability insurance.

They passed the application after a report stated that the sculpture will be situated at a site lower than the surrounding properties and that the ‘scale and location of the development is considered acceptable’.

The Art Afoot/ Celf ar Droed trail will launch on December 15.

The trail will make use of existing pathways such as the boardwalk on Goodwick Moor and the Marine Walk.

The artwork will tell the story of the twin towns' heritage while celebrating the area's biodiversity and wildlife.

Six new sculptures and eight augmented reality artworks have been commissioned, as well as a series of decorated waymarkers.

For more information, see the Small World Theatre’s website, linked above.