A HUGE sculpture of a swan is being built in Ulverston for a world-renowned charity based in London.

The metallic construction, which is part of a bigger piece themed around riverbanks and lakes, is being designed by Chris Brammall, 43, who is one of the country's leading architectural metalworkers.

He said: "We were given a theme by the client but apart from that this is all my own design.

"It's a concept put together from scratch and it makes me very proud. It's always a privilege to be asked to design something and it's going to be there for a long time our name on it."

The piece is entitled Taking Flight, and will feature a gigantic sculpture of a swan which weighs three-quarters-of-a-tonne.

Once finished, the whole ensemble will be 30m long, with the swan being chosen due to its symbolic nature as an iconic British bird.

Chris, who has been a sculptor since he left college at the age of 19, has seen his business grow from a small blacksmiths in the Lakes to having his work commissioned across the country.

He has been sworn to secrecy with regards to the identity of his latest client but has enjoyed seeing his design come to life in the past six months.

“The swan sculpture has really challenged our skillset in both design and manufacturing," he said.

"Right from the start I had a clear vision of how I wanted the piece to feel and to look but watching it take shape in the workshop has been incredible.

“This has been a great chance for me to get into the workshop at the forge – it’s been an honour to create such an inspiring sculpture."

The sculpture is expected to be finished by mid-July when it will be dismantled ready for its departure to London.