There’s no shortage of curiosities at Longleat, but even by its standards, a one-tonne bronze sculpture by a Rolling Stones guitarist is something a little different.
Ronnie Wood has loaned his work Struggles and Triumphs to the estate, where it now sits — or rather turns — in the Secret Garden. The piece, a rotating figure cast in bronze, began life as a much smaller creation, sketched out in a single afternoon.
“It came about on a whim,” Wood said. “I love horses and I completed it in one sitting.” The idea to make it rotate, he added, came later during its time in the foundry — a suggestion he was quick to embrace.
The result is a substantial piece, both in weight and presence, now placed carefully within the grounds. According to Ceawlin Thynn, it looks entirely at home.
“It’s in an area which is just perfect for it,” he said. “It looks like it was made to be there.”
Wood, whose artistic work has long sat alongside his musical career, admitted sculpture is not something he often pursues. All the same, the finished piece has clearly struck a chord.
“When I heard it would be in the Secret Garden, I was very excited,” he said. “It means a lot to have it here.”
For Emma Thynn, the appeal lies partly in how the piece interacts with its surroundings. “The colours are stunning,” she said, noting how they will shift with the changing light and seasons.
The connection between the Woods and Longleat stems from shared support for Tusk, a conservation charity both couples are involved with. A previous encounter — involving a rather eye-catching sculpture by Wood’s wife Sally — helped establish the link.
Conservation, of course, is nothing new at Longleat. The estate made its mark in 1966 by opening the first drive-through safari park outside Africa — a model that has since become part of its identity. Plans are under way to mark that 60th anniversary later this year.
For now, though, the focus is on a single piece of bronze quietly turning in a Wiltshire garden — a reminder that even in a place steeped in history, there’s always room for something unexpected.
