Master sculptors from Sand in Your Eye carve Anglesey Abbey house out of sand

Ever wondered what Anglesey Abbey might look like if it were carved out of sand?

Well wonder no more, as master sculptors from arts organisation, Sand in Your Eye, came to the National Trust-owned property last Wednesday (13 August) to do just that.

The sculpture was made by Jamie Wardley, creative director of Sand in Your Eye, with help from his colleague, Peter McKenna.

Jamie said: “It was a delight to spend the hottest day of the year in front of the magnificent house at Anglesey Abbey.

“The gardens are so large that you can enjoy tranquillity walking amongst the rose gardens and sculptures or engage in play with all the games set up for families during the summer months.

“While carving the elegant chimneys and brickwork, I could not help but think what has occurred in this beautiful building, which was once a monastery that evolved into a Jacobean-style mansion.

“Visitors asked me and my colleague Peter, ‘How does the sand stay up?’ Most people have made a sandcastle at the beach. This sand has round grains and is very clean.

“It’s a bit like making a sculpture with snooker balls. The only thing that holds it together is the water, and once that goes, it tumbles down.

“The sand we used at Anglesey Abbey is a soft, dry, screened building sand. It is sourced from a local quarry and is called Pitton Sand.

“This sand will be crushed rock that filters through meshes to separate different size grains of aggregate, sand being the smallest.

“No water is used. It therefore has angular grains that slot together like bricks but also has silt and clay which binds the grains together like concrete.

“When the sand sculpture of the house dries it will set stone hard and not fall down. We used approximately 700kg of sand to make the sculpture and water to help bind it.”

Families also enjoyed sand-carving workshops and playing in the giant sand pit. The sand pit is free for visitors and is staying at Anglesey until 31 August.

Meghan Curteis, experience and visitor programming manager at Anglesey Abbey, said: “We’re so excited to bring the seaside closer to home for so many of our local visitors.

“There are plenty of exciting ways to get involved, but the Anglesey Abbey sandcastle is definitely one of the highlights to come and see!”

Don’t worry if you missed the live sand carving. It will stay in place until the end of the summer holidays (weather permitting) so there’s still plenty of time to come and see it.

The carving took place as part of Anglesey Abbey’s seaside-themed Summer of Play, sponsored by Starling Bank.

During the summer holidays, the site is inviting families to get outdoors, come and play in the giant sand pit, take part in some seaside arts & crafts, and challenge friends to a game of badminton or volleyball.

There’s still time to join the team for fish & chip Fridays from the local food van, Pimp my Fish, Wednesday craft workshops, and an immersive pirate show on 25 August.

On bank holiday Monday, Anglesey Abbey will also be hosting an MG car show, with 60 vintage and modern MG cars displayed on the South Lawn in front of the house.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/e6r85xev.