Earlier this year, the iconic Tetley Dray Horse statue was targeted by vandals and forcibly removed from its plinth. Following several months of planning behind the scenes, the sculpture has now been carefully removed from Aire Park and transported to Castle Fine Arts Foundry, where it begin an exciting transformation into a bronze landmark.
Originally crafted from fibreglass, the sculpture was first installed at Brewery Wharf in 1994, before being relocated to Tetley House. In 2025, following a refurbishment, it was given a new home at the heart of Aire Park, where it has become a much-loved feature of the park and a symbol of Leeds’ rich brewing heritage.
Rather than simply repairing the damaged sculpture, we have taken the opportunity to create a lasting legacy by recasting the Dray Horse in bronze, ensuring it can be enjoyed by future generations.
Over the coming months, the specialist team at Castle Fine Arts Foundry will undertake approximately 16 weeks of meticulous work to clean and prepare the original sculpture, before creating a mould from which the new bronze statue will be cast.
We look forward to welcoming the Tetley Dray Horse back to Aire Park in early 2027 and will be sharing regular updates on its progress via our website and social media channels.