Most people are very familiar with The Owl & the Pussy-Cat poem that tells the tale of two animals setting off to sea in a ‘beautiful pea green boat.’ But what many people do not know is that the poem, by Edward Lear, was actually written at Knowsley Hall.

This fascinating fact and Lear’s connections to Knowsley were celebrated throughout 2022 with a huge sculpture trail featuring 30 pairs of 2-metre-high owls and pussy-cats. The project, which was a key part of Knowsley’s calendar of events for its year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture, was launched by the current Earl and Countess of Derby whose family’s connections with Lear date back to 1831.