FIVE specially commissioned wooden chairs – some as high as seven feet – are the latest additions to the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park at Grewelthorpe near Ripon.

The group of chairs – called Contemplation Circle – has been sculpted by wood artist Liam O’Neill from Co. Galway who was among the first artists to develop outdoor turned wood sculpture.

His work has been used extensively as state gifts by the Irish government and past recipients have included the Royal families of Sweden and Japan.

In addition, one of his works was presented by President Mary Robinson to the Queen on the first visit of an Irish head of State to Buckingham Palace in 1993.

Liam said: “I wished to reflect the idea of the height of the Himalayas and to fit the piece into the landscape of tall trees which surrounds it.

"The chairs are designed to be a place apart, where visitors can relax and reflect on the beautiful landscape.”

Each chair is made from the heartwood of the giant redwood, which is native to California, but has been planted extensively throughout the British Isles since its introduction around 1850. Liam tries to use only those which have been felled as a result of disease.