Wallace and Gromit Statue - Preston Markets

To celebrate the success of Preston-born Nick Park, and the iconic Wallace and Gromit duo he created, a bronze bench featuring the famous characters can be found standing pride of place outside the entrance to Market Hall.

The bronze statue is based on the Wallace and Gromit film 'The Wrong Trousers', which was one of the duo's popular short animation debuts in 1993.

Say cheese and snap a selfie!

Child having selfie with Wallace and Gromit Statue

When visiting Preston Markets, make sure to snap a selfie with the much-loved cheese-loving inventor and his loyal pooch pal. Doubling as a bench, it's ideal for taking fun and memorable photographs.

And, don't forget to share your photos with us on social using @prestonmarkets. We're keen to see them all! #WallaceGromitBench

About Preston-born creator Nick Park

Nick was born in Preston's Brookfield Park in 1958 and grew up on Greenlands Estate. After visiting Bristol for two summers to help Aardman Animations with their work for BBC, Nick moved to Bristol and joined the company full time in 1985. His first Wallace and Gromit short, through Aardman Animations, was 'A Grand Day Out' in 1989.

Nick boasts an exciting collection of awards over the years including four Academy Awards, six BAFTAs, and many more.

Nick's work has also included executive production on television animation hits, such as 'Shaun the Sheep', and directing a number of successful films including 'Chicken Run' and 'Early Man'.

To find out more about Nick Park and other famous Prestonians see Visit Preston - Prominent Prestonians.

Harris Quarter Pop-Ups Programme

The Wallace and Gromit Statue was created as part of £1 million investment in a Pop Ups programme of events, installations and visitor attractions across the city centre.

The Harris Quarter Pop Ups programme forms part of The Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme - a £200 million transformational regeneration programme kickstarted by £20.9 million of Towns Fund investment to support a number of regeneration projects within the Harris Quarter, which aim to improve the area's leisure and culture offer.

For more information about the regeneration project visit Invest Preston - Harris Quarter Regeneration Project. More details about the Pop Ups Programme can be found at Invest Preston - Harris Quarter Pop Ups Programme.

Other sculptures and statues in the city centre

Discover other sculptures and statues in the city centre and a little about their history by following the city centre's sculpture trail. For details see Visit Preston - Preston City Centre Statue Trail.