Last weekend were the last days of Poppies Weeping Window iconic WWW1 commemorative ceramic poppies sculpture by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper at Carlisle Castle.

The art work representing dramatic cascade of red poppies pouring down from above and spilling onto the grass at the bottom of the inner wall is a section of the original installation The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London in 2014 that consisted of 888,246 poppies. Each poppy represented a British or Colonial soldier perished in WW1 as the sculpture sent a poignant message about the human cost of war.

The Weeping Window featuring between 5,500 and 6,000 handmade flowers on show at Carlisle Castle was part of 14-18 UK-wide WW1 centenary memorial tour. Carlisle was chosen for #PoppiesTour for its strong military traditions, its contribution in training recruits and the fact that the war claimed thousands of lives from the Border Regiment.

John and I didn’t have a chance to experience the overwhelming London display in person four years ago so one hot summer day we took a train journey to Carlisle determined to catch the iconic poppy sculpture there.

I had doubts initially about the spout of poppies arching in the air from the keep. Viewed from the road it oddly reminded of a thin teapot handle. However, in its outer ward/courtyard projection it added to the height of the poppy cascade enhancing its dramatic impact.

As we passed underneath the sculpture we appreciated a further dimension revealed by viewing the flowing arch of poppies against the sky. We were also afforded a chance to examine the craftsmanship and intricacies of ceramic flowers at hand distance.

Although on a smaller scale, the Weeping Window was no less touching and visually captivating than the Tower of London original, a stream of blood-red poppies flowing down and widening to a puddle at the bottom of the wall, individual flowers spreading further like droplets of blood. It was an impressive and beautiful work of art. I was glad we went to see it.

On a lighter note, there was some patriotic grief on the forums about the van outside the castle selling ice cream from Yorkshire cows and not Cumbrian, but we were not that picky and enjoyed a vanilla cone each (with a Flake!).

Carlisle Castle - the upper part of Poppies Weeping Window installation visible from the outside
Carlisle Castle – the upper part of Poppies Weeping Window installation visible from the outside reminding a teaport handle
Poppies sculpture viewed from inside the castle courtyard
Beautiful poppies art work viewed from inside the castle courtyard
Poppies Weeping Window Carlisle #PoppyTour - flowers flowing on the keep and pooling down at the wall
Poppies Weeping Window Carlisle #PoppyTour – flowers flowing on the keep and pooling down at the wall.
Individual poppies on metal spikes in the grass on the lower part of Weeping Window
Individual poppies on metal spikes in the grass on the lower part of Weeping Window iconic sculpture
A unique feature of Carlisle version of Weeping Window - you can view part of the installation from beneath as you walk around the castle keep
A unique feature of Carlisle version of Weeping Window – you can view part of the sculpture from beneath as you walk around the castle keep
A stream of poppies pours down from the keep as visitors walk underneath
A stream of poppies pours down from the keep as visitors walk underneath
Closeup view of handmade ceramic poppies attached to metal stems, each poppy representing a soldier that died during WW1
Closeup view of handmade ceramic poppies attached to metal stems, each poppy representing a soldier that died during WW1
Eating ice cream outside Carlisle Castle
John outside Carlisle Castle enjoying his vanilla ice cream

Similar Posts