Straw Wars.

A strange sight greets any travellers making their way along the A51 road heading for Chester, for in the field next to the road can be seen a 35ft tall Dalek, its head swivelling round, lights flashing on its head while utter the familiar sound “exterminate, exterminate”.

Each year Snugbury’s ice cream located at Park farm, Hurleston, Nantwich create an iconic sculpture to attract people to their ice cream parlour. At the beginning of the year Snugbury’s were inundated with suggestions of what straw sculpture they should create, however by far the most popular suggestion was something to celebrate the 50th birthday of Dr Who.

After a consultation between the Sadler family who own Snugbury’s and Mike Harper from Harbrook Engineering who constructs the steel frames which form the sculptures, it was decided to attempt to create a 35ft Dalek, and, as the photographs show it is truly impressive.

It is said to have taken 700 man hours to fabricate the steel frame, pack the straw and for the first time ever introduce moving parts and audio. The sculpture is constructed from approximately 6 tons of straw and 5 tons of steel. Sungbury’s have also created a Dalick ice cream cone and a percentage of sales of these cones will go to Cancer UK.