The flock of seven stone sheep installed in Shipley’s Well Croft earlier this year finally has names – and every one was chosen by a local school child.
The name Shipley comes from the Old English for “sheep pasture”, a detail woven into the wider project, which also included planting a mixed shrub and herbaceous bed alongside a wildflower grass meadow.
Bradford Council and Shipley Town Council worked with four local primary schools – Saltaire Primary School, Wycliffe CE Primary School, Shipley CE Primary School and St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School – to gather naming suggestions from pupils.
Councillor Rhona North, chair of Shipley Town Council, said: “People have responded so well to the new sculptures and I thought it would be great to take suggestions from local children as to what they should be called. The names have all been so carefully considered and we were delighted by all the wonderful suggestions.”
The chosen names were revealed as:
Ewes
- Glenda, celebrating Shipley Glen
- Penny, celebrating Shipley’s position on the edge of the South Pennines
- Noor, meaning light, celebrating Shipley’s cultural diversity and the contribution of its South Asian community
Ram
- Titus, named in honour of Sir Titus Salt and his lasting legacy to the area
Lambs
- Barbara – “there had to be one for the pun lovers”, as the council put it
- Hockney, celebrating the life and local connections of David Hockney
- Ewe-nity, a playful celebration of community, togetherness and belonging
Councillor Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s executive member for economy, regeneration and planning, said: “The sculptures have fast become a welcome addition to the town centre. They were each designed, hand-carved and polished by the artist in Yorkshire with the intention that they were tactile and children could play on them and enjoy them. So, it’s fitting that school children have named them.” He added: “We would like to acknowledge the wonderful ideas and enthusiasm shown by all the local children who suggested such great names.”
Gill Thornton, chair of the Shipley Towns Fund, said: “These wonderful sheep sculptures are a beautiful reflection of Shipley’s heritage, and are part of our wider work in the town centre. They are such an appealing feature and have been so well-received alongside the rest of the improvements. The names – and the reasons they have been suggested – are representative of Shipley’s past and importantly, our future.”
A graphic identifying each sheep by name will be on display outside Shipley Library.
The wider development of the market square, delivered by Bradford Council, was funded by £3 million from the government-funded Shipley Towns Fund – a £25 million pot to regenerate the area – with a further £1 million coming from Streets for People funding via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
