More than 31,000 visitors flocked to a Staffordshire town to enjoy a sculpture trail this summer, pumping an additional £600,000 into the local economy.
The Burton Barrel Roll was Burton upon Trent’s first fully 3D sculpture trail and ran in the town over the course of 10 weeks until earlier this month.
Fourteen giant barrel sculptures hand decorated by local artists and sponsored by local businesses and organisations were placed around the town for people to hunt down and visit.
Evaluation data collected from sources including an app and online survey show visitor numbers for this year’s trail were nearly double those of two other previous sculpture trails in Burton.
Reports show that visitors spent just over £20 in local shops and cafes whilst doing the trail, adding up to more than £600,000.
The figures do not include those who engaged with the trail but didn’t take a map or download the app – and the numbers are still expected to rise slightly as the evaluation remains live until a closing auction event.
The campaign reached 72,000 people on Facebook alone.
Tilley Bancroft, owner of Burton-based Making Trails, which was behind this trail and two previous ones in the town, said: “The Burton Barrel Roll really has been a staggering success, with this year’s numbers completely exceeding our expectations. We were thrilled to see even more visitors to the area as well as locals enjoying their town in a fun and engaging way.
“With highstreets changing and people seeking ways to enjoy their towns differently, trails really do offer so much.
“We were getting messages through our social media platforms, our evaluation and in person, with Burtonians thanking the team for the excuse to visit parts of Burton they had all but forgotten about.
“Families and friends could enjoy the artwork together, discover more about our historic town, spend money in local shops and cafes as well as get in those daily steps.”
Feedback praised the artwork and the opportunity to get out and about.
The Burton Swan trail, in the summer of 2019, saw 25 giant swan sculptures dotted around the town, attracting 11,000 people.
That led to the Big Burton Carousel in 2022, which featured 30 carousel horse sculptures and brought in just over 20,000 visitors.
- The barrels from this year’s event are now set to be sold off next month.
The Burton Barrel Roll Auction takes place on Tuesday, 22 October at the Brewhouse Arts Centre. There is a reserve price of £400 per barrel and all proceeds will help fund a permanent art installation in the town.
For tickets, or more information, click here.
- The evaluation remains live until after the auction. It can be accessed here.
