A miniature village featuring Bolton historic buildings has been created in the town centre.
Stunning clay models of Hall i'th' Wood, Fred Dibnah's house, Burnden Park and even the Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe - to name just a few - have been created by self-taught Boltonian artist Verona Medhurst.
The remarkable art installation was created just before Bolton Food and Drink Festival and can be viewed through the window of the Deansgate building, which was once Beales.
Uniquely, each of Verona’s models are signed off with ‘BB+B’: Bolton Born and Bred.
The process for making each model is intricate and time consuming, with the Hall i 'th' Wood model taking more than 140 hours to complete. The smaller works take around 50 hours.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “Verona’s work is truly remarkable and celebrates the significance of Bolton’s social history.
“Culture is the heartbeat of Bolton, and whilst being named this year’s Greater Manchester Town of Culture, it is fantastic to be able to showcase the local talent we have.”
READ MORE: Bolton named as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 2024
The changing face of Hall i' th' Wood through the years
After just one year of working in the medium of clay, Verona’s artwork has people keen to see more, with requests for her to create replicas of other significant Bolton buildings.
Verona said: “I am so thrilled to see my artwork on display. I have always thought Bolton is a great place to live. My roots are here. Even if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t leave.
“People often ask me to create specific buildings. I try and choose the buildings which mean something to people – both historical and more recent.
“There is so much social history in Bolton and these buildings have lots of memories for many residents and visitors.”
Verona’s artwork is now on display in the former Beales store, on Deansgate.
Passers-by are encouraged to share their memories of the buildings as well as suggestions for future creations through a QR code which is displayed on the window of the exhibition.
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