A NEW sculpture made out of a 170-year-old tree has been placed outside a church in Kendal.

The Kendal Parish Church Riverside sculpture was commissioned by the Environment Agency and Kendal Parish Church as part of the flood relief scheme. 

The project is based on the 17th-century map made by Jogn Speed who calls Kendal 'Kendale'.

The project was constructed by the wood crafter James Mitchell and it is made from an oak tree that came down during Storm Arwen.

The tree came from a farm in the Upper Kent Valley.

On social media, James said: "This 170-year-old tree was a vital part of the ecosystem and helped slow the flow and nourish our landscape. The map shows Kendal as it was then and is populated with parts of that history and wildlife.

"It shows the valley and is headed with the hills of the Kentmere horseshoe. The other side of the tree is an abstract form that represents the flow of the river, the contours and texture of the landscape and the stunning beauty of the wood itself.

"I feel humbled and honoured that I get to create something that is displayed in my hometown."