Wave opened at Lincoln Castle on Thursday 26 May, specially presented by 14-18 NOW to mark the centenary of the First World War.

A sweeping arch of bright red poppy heads suspended on towering stalks, the sculpture is from the extraordinary installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper.

Wave and its sister sculpture Weeping Window were initially conceived as the key dramatic sculptural elements in the installation, which was shown at the Tower of London in 2014.

Now, the two breath-taking sculptures are being brought to audiences at venues across the country. And for the remainder of 2016, Lincoln Castle is the only place in England to host the poppies.

As with all 14-18 NOW projects, the presentation of these sculptures to new audiences across the United Kingdom aims to prompt a new, nationwide dialogue around the legacy of the First World War.*

Lincoln County’s War-Time Connections

Lincolnshire will be commemorating 1916, a turning point within the four terrible years of the First World War, that saw this country to begin to change in every conceivable way.

Lincolnshire has strong connections with both world wars and, during the first, Lincoln Castle was used by the Lincolnshire Regiment and for fundraisers and parades.

Lincolnshire engineering companies who had formerly revolutionised agricultural machinery carried on innovating, moving from tractors to tanks.

It was during this period that the first operational tank was developed by Fosters of Lincoln, went into full production, and was first used on the Somme battlefield. Between 1915 and 1919 Lincoln became one of the largest centres of aircraft production in the world.

A veritable army of Lincolnshire women – the munitionettes – many as young as 14, moved into the towns and factories of Gainsborough, Grantham, Grimsby and Lincoln to make tanks, aircraft and munitions.

There were also 37 military aerodromes across the county by 1918 and this number grew in WWII. Many aviation heritage sites remain, including the Battle of the Britain Memorial Flight.*

*From 14-18 NOW leaflet