Farnworth has been gifted a scale replica of one of the area's most famous - and colourful - monuments.
The giant Meccano bridge at Nob End, between Farnworth, Little Lever, and Prestolee, is one of Bolton's most eye-catching features.
And Farnworth and Kearsley First councillors were delighted to discover that The Frank Hornby Heritage Centre in Liverpool has a tiny scale replica - compete with Meccano chairs and benches.
Sunrise over the meccano bridge, Nob End, Little Lever (Image: John Norris)
Now, a second replica has been made, which will be displayed in Farnworth Library.
Kearsley councillor Tracey Wilkinson said: "After learning that The Frank Hornby Heritage Centre in Liverpool have a replica model of the unique Meccano Bridge at Nob End.
"We felt this was something special that our community should also be able to enjoy and learn about locally.
"This fantastic model not only captures the bridge itself, but also includes details from the real-world site, such as seating and a picnic bench, helping to bring this local public artwork and social history to life."
The Meccano bench to go with the bridge (Image: Tracey Wilkinson)
The giant Meccano bridge was designed in 2010 by local artist Liam Curtin.
He had the idea for the piece when it became apparent the site - Prestolee Lock - was too wild to accommodate a crane or other heavy-duty building equipment.
If they were to build a sculpture there, they would need something that could be assembled by hand, which is where Liam had the idea of making something out of Meccano.
The building was completed in 2012 using scaled up pieces of Meccano, each one weighing over 80kg and coloured to match a 1950s Meccano set.
The replica of the Meccano bridge (Image: Tracey Wilkinson)
The bridge cost around £90k to make, with each piece having to be lifted into place by four workers.
Upon seeing the model in the Frank Hornby Heritage Centre, Farnworth and Kearsley First Councillors reached out to Chris Harris, who built it.
After discussions, Chris agreed to build a second model of the artwork, gifting it to the Farnworth councillors in a ceremony held in local coffee shop The Coffee House.
The model will be displayed in Farnworth Library, 'giving everyone the chance to learn about and engage with this wonderful piece of local heritage.'
Share