A new sculpture serves a striking reminder of the history of a popular park in which it stands.

The eye-catching centre piece installed in Old Station Park celebrates Horwich's railway history.

It is made out of restored buffers which were discovered under a mound of earth during the recent flood attenuation works in the Park

Horwich Heritage Chairman Stuart Whittle said: "Horwich Station opened in 1865 and closed in 1965. In 1980, Horwich Town Council converted the site into a public park. To the casual observer, there

are few clues to its original purpose other than the name, but the addition of the buffers now provides a poignant reminder that Horwich once had its own station which was located right in the centre of the town."

The buffers were restored by Horwich Heritage under the expert guidance of Roy Davies.

Mr Whittle said: "Horwich Heritage has restored a number of features in and around Horwich including the Scotsman's Stump, the Lever Park Pillars, the Stocks and stone walls on Church Street

and is looking forward to its next project."

A buffer, or buffer stop, is the device which aims to prevent trains from going past the physical end section of a track.

The unveiling of the installation was carried out by Mayor of Horwich, Cllr David Grant, accompanied by Mr Whittle,