Work begins on Darwin artwork

A new piece of public art to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin will start to "rise out of the river bank" in Shrewsbury with work beginning in earnest today.

Although boards were previously put up marking off the site of the Quantum Leap project at Frankwell, major work on the scheme was only due to begin today.

Rian Huxley, communications officer for Shropshire Council, said a piling rig was due to arrive today.

She said: "The sculpture will be constructed in May to June. Completion is expected in late July/early August."

Charles Armstrong, from Shropshire Art Partnership, said: "We are finalising the design with the piling engineers and then they will get to work and it will be slowly seen rising out of the river bank."

The piece of art will feature in a £350,000 geo-garden to mark the bicentenary of Darwin.