Over 600 Ceramic Poppies Unveiled at Historic Warwick Location

A historic location in Warwick is introducing an exhibition featuring over 600 ceramic poppies. The Lord Leycester venue announced that this installation, situated in the medieval courtyard of its recently restored Grade I listed building, will commemorate Remembrance Day. This site, which serves as a home for veterans, is now accessible to visitors after undergoing repairs and renovations to its 700-year-old structures as part of a £4.5 million project. The Lord Leycester commissioned local artist Lottie Wilson to create the poppies, a task in which she was assisted by children from Westgate Primary School and Warwick cub scouts. Complimentary drop-in workshops were conducted on Friday and Saturday, allowing members of the public to contribute to the artwork by crafting their own poppy. The artist had previously stated that every poppy created would be “wholly unique – just like the people making them”. She also expressed, “I hope that the poppies serve as a sincere tribute.” The Lord Leycester, set to launch the installation on Tuesday, described it as Warwick’s equivalent to the Tower of London’s poppy exhibition. The institution further noted that the placement of the hundreds of poppies at the High Street location was “fitting given the Lord Leycester’s rich military history”. Since its establishment in 1571 by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leycester, “to care for deserving soldiers known as ‘Brethren’, who fought in the wars of the Tudor age during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I”, it has served as a residence for former servicemen and women. The site recently admitted a female resident, marking a first in its history. Following 400 male residents, the Lord Leycester Hospital extended a welcome to Maj Janet Brodie-Murphy, a former member of the Women’s Royal Army Corps, who relocated to the site with her partner, Capt Alan Gill BEM.