A POIGNANT tribute marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War has attracted thousands of visitors to Ripon Cathedral.

Fields of Mud, Seeds of Hope has been created by Yorkshire Artist Dan Metcalfe, focussing on the legacies of the First World War, commemorating the sacrifices of those who returned and those who did not.

The evocative piece has been created using wet soil from one of the largest British military camps and hospitals of the time, which was based in Ripon.

This soil has been mixed with earth from the battlefield in Flanders.

As the soil dried out, cracks appeared to reveal five battle-weary silhouettes returning from the front.

The installation, which is inside Ripon Cathedral has been a huge hit with the thousands of visitors who have flocked to see it.

Artist Dan Metcalfe said: “The subject of hope is not immediately obvious when looking at the Great War and you do have to search for it and work at it, but it is there.

“Rather like the tenacious poppy seeds, legacy and hope are buried deep and can sit dormant and unseen ready to germinate and flourish from the mire given the correct circumstances.”

With this in mind, millions of poppy seeds have been planted deep within the piece, representing hope and the resilience of life.

These poppy seeds are ready to germinate once planted in the correct conditions.

Members of the public can currently reserve segments of the sculpture which will be decommissioned on November 14.

Mr Metcalfe hopes that people will continue the legacy of the piece by planting their segments to create personal poppy gardens, or remembrance artworks.