DS ART TOUR
DS ART TOUR
DS ART TOUR

It is easy when out and about, driving or otherwise, to miss some of the rich cultural pieces that exist in public for all to see. From sculptures to man-made landscapes, graffiti and murals, there are inspiring, beautiful and thought-provoking works of art across Britain. 

 

DS Automobiles allows drivers to slow down and enjoy the Art of Travel. In comfort and in style, DS allows drivers to make the act of driving from one place to another part of the event or, in fact, the event. 

 

We have collated five short tours across the country for drivers to experience and become immersed in some of the finest public works of art across the country. 

 

Each route starts at a DS retailer - why not try a 24 hour test drive while you complete the tour? 

 

 

 

MANCHESTER TO LIVERPOOL
Crossing between two of Britain’s great cultural cities, this tour takes in murals, statues, and monumental sculpture.

Mural on the back of The Albert (M20 3BG)

Peachzz (2023)
A recent installation as part of the wider Withington Walls project, this installation on the rear of The Albert Pub is inspired by Manchester’s population of Parakeets. Created by artist Peachezz in 2023, it features the Parakeets surrounded by cotton to highlight the link to Manchester’s famous textile industry. 

Dream (WA9 4BE)

 Jaume Plensa (2009) 
This sculpture, sited on a former colliery and visible above the tree line for miles around and from the M62, is 20 metres high and located on the site of a former colliery. In the form of a young girl’s head with her eyes closed in a dream-like state, the crisp white ‘flesh’ stands in stark contrast to the colour of the coal that sits beneath it.

Squares with Two Circles (L69 7ZX)

 Barbara Hepworth (1963) 

After seeing Dream, head into Liverpool. At over 3m high, Squares with Two Circles is one of iconic artist Barbara Hepworth’s largest monolithic bronzes and is one of only three in the world.  Located on the campus of the University of Liverpool, this sculpture uses circles cut out of the bronze sculpture to explore the relationship between occupied and empty space. The sculpture is one of several works of art available to view across the campus. 

 

While you’re there, take in the art across the campus of the University of Liverpool and the majestic Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. 

Super  LambBanana (L2 2ER)

Taro Chiezo (1998)

This 8-ton, 5.2m tall sculpture is a play on two of the most common cargos in Liverpool’s docks – sheep and bananas. The sculpture was created in 1998 as part of a wider programme to create a corridor of art across Northern England. It has moved around the city before settling in its current location.  

 

Although it is traditionally yellow, it occasionally receives a temporary repaint as part of wider campaigns. It has now become a symbol of Liverpool, with scale replicas available to buy

The Beatles (L3 1BY) 

Andy Edwards (2015) 

A statue of Liverpool’s most iconic residents and arguably four of the most famous Britons is based on a picture of the ‘Fab Four’ walking down the street. The sculpture stands in the middle of a public walkway so that you can walk with the Fab Four, too. The subtle details, Paul’s camera, the ‘L8’ inscription on Ringo’s foot, the acorns in John’s hand and the Sanskrit on George’s belt all offer an insight into the key moments in each of their lives. 

  

Once you’ve spent some time with the ‘Fab Four’, walk along the waterfront to see the final piece of public art on this tour. 

Penelope (L1 4JJ)

Jorge Pardo (2002) 
The largest outdoor sculpture created by Pardo to date, Penelope was commissioned by Tate Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Biennial in 2002. 10m tall and consisting of steel stalks ending in brightly coloured illuminated plexiglass spheres, Penelope’s name refers to Ulysses’ wife in Homer’s Odyssey and now serves as a centrepiece for one of Liverpool’s liveliest squares. 
DS recommends

Staying at:  The Resident; 2 Blackburne Terrace 

Eating at:  The Art School, Fraiche

London
London is home to some of the world’s best-known museums and galleries, however this tour offers some of the hidden gems that exist across the capital. 

Unfurl (W8 5LZ)

Eilis O’Connell (2000)
This large bronze petal unfurling was commissioned to celebrate the Millennium. Appearing like a bud or leaf gently opening this sculpture is made of thick bronze with a ribbed green patina on the outside with a. contrasting black patina on the inside. A stone's throw from Hyde Park, the Serpentine Gallery, and the internationally renowned V&A Museum, Unfurl and the surrounding area are a must visit for any art tour through London.

Still Water (W1K 1AB)

Nic Fiddian-Green (2011)
At over 10m high, Still Water is the tallest free-standing bronze sculpture in London and weighs over 20 tonnes, visible from the centre of the Park Lane thoroughfare just north of Hyde Park Corner. Fiddian-Green has held a lifelong obsession with the form of a horse and has said that Still Water is intended to provide a moment of peace and stillness as people rush by.

Shoreditch Street Art (EC2A 3EY)

Various
The proliferation of street art in Shoreditch makes the area an absolute must-see on any art tour of London. Spread across the whole area, the artworks feature contemporary and cultural references and include work from famous names such as Banksy and Faith47.

Traffic Light Tree (E14 5TG)

Pierre Vivant (1998)
Set on an innocuous roundabout near to Billingsgate Market, Traffic Light Tree imitates the London Plane trees that surround it according to its creator Vivant, while the changing pattern of lights and colours reflects the ever-changing rhythm and flow of the surrounding city – especially the vibrant commercial activities of London.

ArcelorMittal Orbit (E20 2AD)

Anish Kapoor (2012)
The artistic centrepiece of the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Arcellor Mittal Orbit is visible from across London. A twisting and turning sculpture and observation tower, the Orbit features two observation decks and a slide. The slide is 178 metres long and is apparently the longest of its type in the world – a thrilling way to end the day.
DS recommends 

Staying at:  Boundary, Shoreditch; Batty Langley’s

Eating at:  Restaurant Claude Bosi at Bibendium, The Clove Club

Edinburgh to Glasgow
Spanning the Central Belt, this tour will take you to some of the sites you may not otherwise see when travelling between the two Scottish cities. 

The Kelpies (FK2 7ZT)

Andy Scott (2013)
The largest equine sculptures in the world, the Kelpies stand at 100ft tall and weigh more than 300 tonnes each. Created by artist Andy Scott, the statue is modelled on two real horses called Duke and Baron and represent the history of the heavy horse in Scottish industry. The name ‘Kelpies’ is derived from the shape-shifting mythological beasts associated with Irish and Scottish Folklore.

Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea (ML5 2EH)

Neil McLeod (1986)
The magnificent ‘Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea’ can be spotted sitting on the waters of Loch at Drumpellier Country Park. The imposing sheet metal sculpture stands at 12ft tall and sits on a concealed concrete and stone structure, creating the illusion that the whale tail is being lifted out of the water. Following a complicated restoration project, ‘Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea’ was relocated from behind the nearby visitors centre on to the waters of Drumpellier Country Park. 

The Hope Sculpture (G73 1PW)

Steuart Padwick (2021)
Standing on the banks of the Clyde ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Hope represents an optimism for humanity’s response to the climate crisis and has been built using low-carbon recycled and repurposed materials including a concrete made without cement. It reaches out across the city and is one of three across Glasgow, the other is in Glasgow Central Station with the final sculpture in place at Rottenrow Gardens.

Glasgow City Centre Mural Trail

Various

The mural trail began in 2008 and was intended to revive streetscapes in Glasgow that looked tired and includes works that are conservative, radical, quirky and bizarre. Each piece is unique and have been enriching the artistic heritage of the city centre since their creation.

 

Walk around the mural trail or drive to visit it, from there, you can walk to the final stop on the tour.

Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington (G1 3AG)

Francis Leggat Chantrey (1844)
Erected in 1844, this is the oldest sculpture on this tour, and located outside the Glasgow Royal Exchange, now the Gallery of Modern Art, the statue is now one of Glasgow’s most iconic landmarks. It features here due to the local tradition of ensuring that a traffic cone adorns the statue whenever possible. Despite fruitless efforts by the local authorities, any time the cone is removed, a new one will appear – with it becoming traditional to decorate the cone to highlight political campaigns or sporting occasions. When opening his exhibition and the nearby Gallery of Modern Art, Banksy declared it to be his favourite work of art in the UK.
DS recommends 

Staying at:  Hotel du Vin, Abode Glasgow

Eating at:  Bilson Eleven, UNALOME, Glasgow

Norwich to Aldeburgh
Taking in the splendour of Norwich, The Broads and the Suffolk countryside before reaching the coastal Suffolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this tour shifts from the urban, to the monumental before a relaxing ending at Aldeburgh.

Norwich ‘City Stories’ murals (NR1 3QF)

Various
To commemorate Norwich being awarded UNESCO City of Literature award, nine artists were tasked to create murals that celebrated Norwich as a ‘City of Stories’.  A local favourite is Malca Schotten’s ‘The Dragon’ which watches over Red Lion Street. The playful and vibrant mural was inspired by the European fairy tales told to the artist as a child, and pays homage to the city's history of dragon iconography.

Banksy on Admiralty Road (NR30 3DR)

Banksy (2021)
Depicting a man and woman dancing while an accordionist plays, appeared in summer 2021 as part of what the artist dubbed his ‘Great British Spraycation’ that saw him create pieces across Norfolk. The works, completed in Banksy’s trademark style, have drawn people from across the country.

Yoxman (IP17 3ET)

Laurence Edwards (2021)

Created by Laurence Edwards to be reminiscent of humble figures of Suffolk’s past, emerging from the landscape, this sculpture towers over the A12. The Yoxman was made of Plaster on Polystyrene, which was then coated in ropes, grass and other objects left in the artist’s studio. The final sculpture was then cast in Bronze in 52 pieces before being pieced together to form the 26ft sculpture you see today.

 

The statue is visible from the road on the left as you drive out of Yoxford on the A12

Snooks the Dog (IP15 5DS)

Gwynneth Holt (1961)
‘Mrs Snooks Chip Winkler’ is a sculpture of a real dog that belonged to two local doctors, Dr Robin Acheson and Dr Nora Acheson. Created by Gwynneth Holt it was unveiled in 1961 by the couple’s grandchildren. The statue was stolen in 2003 and a replacement cast, before the original turned up at an antiques fair sometime later and returned to where it now sits in the grounds of Aldeburgh Hospital where its owners previously worked.

Scallop (IP15 5BH)

Maggi Hambling (2003)
The final point for this tour is at Aldeburgh beach, overlooking the North Sea where Scallop, Maggi Hambling’s tribute to composer Benjamin Britten, resides on the beach. Weighing 3.5 tons, the 3.7m wide stainless-steel sculpture was intended to be climbed on, sat on and used as shelter – a suitable place to finish the tour, reflect, and enjoy the view.
DS recommends

Staying at:  Tuddenham Mill, Hintlesham Hall

Eating at:  Maison Bleue, The Suffolk

Durham to Newcastle
Travelling north from Durham, this tour takes in works of art on post-industrial sites and includes two of the largest works of art in the country. 

Angel of the North (NE9 7TY)

Antony Gormley (1998)
One of the UK’s most prominent and famous works of public art, the Angel of The North was specifically designed to greet travellers on the A1 and travellers on the East Coast Mainline. Sited on a former colliery and designed by Antony Gormley and completed in 1998, the Angel of The North is visible from the road, and there is also a visitor centre for you to park and walk around the structure. It has become one of the most recognisable landmarks and symbols of the North East.

Cone (NE8 2BJ)

Andy Goldsworthy (1992)
Built on an old foundry in 1992, west of the famous High-Level Bridge, Cone is a solid four metre high structure assembled from layers of steel plate. Cone reflects the fact that the old industrial foundry has now been reclaimed by nature and is grown over and wooded. Be sure to walk out of the woodland to take in Gateshead’s famous waterfront, its bridges, and the city of Newcastle on the other bank. 

Parson’s Polygon (NE1 7JF)

David Hamilton (1985)

The Polygon, on one of Newcastle’s busiest thoroughfares, Blackett Street, covers a ventilation shaft for the city’s Metro. Made of Terra-Cotta, the relief is based on the engineering drawings of Sir Charles Parsons’, a mathematician, engineer, and designer of early turbine engines. 3.5m tall, Parson’s Polygon is one of 40 major pieces of public art commissioned since the construction of the Newcastle Metro began over 40 years ago.

 

Park: Eldon Square car park, NE1 7RZ

Ever Changing (NE1 4AF)

Eilis O’Connell (2005)
Commissioned by Newcastle City Council, and set in Grainger Town, Ever Changing’s surfaces and angles reflect the evolving streetscape around it. Ever Changing is made of polished stainless steel and is set at an angle of 73 degrees to the ground so that it literally reflects the surrounding environment on its surface and  metaphorically how Newcastle continues to evolve as a 21st century city.

Northumberlandia (NE23 8AU)

Charles Jencks (2012)
Return to your car and drive on to what is known affectionately as ‘The Lady of The North’, Northumberlandia. Set in a 46-acre country park and with 4 miles of footpaths, Northumberlandia is a man-made landform sculpture of a reclining lady made of 1.5m tonnes of rock, clay and soil. It is 100ft high and quarter of a mile long and as it is a natural form will adapt and mature over time and change with the seasons. A running theme through a lot of the art on this route, Northumberlandia has brought new life to industrial and post-industrial land.
DS recommends 

Staying at:  Mafden Hall; The County Hotel, Newcastle

Eating at:  House of Tides, Solstice

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