The imposing figure has been placed on a roundabout on the A65 near Booth’s supermarket, serving as a welcoming symbol at the entrance of the historic Cumbrian market town.
Andy Kay, a sculptor in the area, gifted this landmark to Kirkby Lonsdale, a gesture of gratitude for the support of his business over the last three decades.
Mr Kay, who owns Andrew Kay Sculpture, said: “I am delighted it is now in place.
“There has been a very positive reaction and within just a few days of the installation, there have been more than 700 people liking posts about the sculpture on the We are Kirkby Lonsdale Facebook page.”
He added: “I also hope that it will play a small part in the regeneration of Kirkby Lonsdale in the wake of the tragic fire in the town in December.”
Kay’s choice of a ram is not arbitrary, as the animal reflects the town’s heritage.
It was inspired by old drovers’ roads, used by farmers in the town to bring their hill rams and sheep to the town’s livestock market.
The ram also adorns the logo of Kirkby Lonsdale Rugby Club and the nearby Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
The installation was a collaborative effort, taking place in one evening.
Rob Mackereth and his team from G Mackereth and Son laid 20 tonnes of compacted hardcore to prepare the ground.
Michael Griffiths and his team from Bravo Power Limited then used a Hiab crane to position a ten-tonne stone plinth, donated by Heidelberg Quarry at Ingleton.
More than 20 tonnes of topsoil was added to shape the sculpture’s mound, which will be planted with wildflower seeds.
Despite some torrential rain at 3am the following morning, the installation remained intact.
Mr Kay said: “I’d like to thank the companies which installed the sculpture because they did a great job and did the work more or less for cost.”
Councillor Mike Marczynski, deputy chair of Kirkby Lonsdale Town Council, was instrumental in getting the project off the ground.
He said: “What is amazing is the sheer power Andy has designed into this sculpture.
“As I said to him the other day: ‘It’s alive.’ What greater praise can be given for such a fabulous gift to the town by Andy, made even more poignant after the awful fire of last December and the necessary recovery of Kirkby Lonsdale.
“There’s no finer place to live.”
Mr Kay hopes the sculpture will become a prominent landmark for the town.
He said: “When families are heading to the Lake District, children might ask ‘when will we be there?’ and parents can say ‘look, we are at the Kirkby Lonsdale ram’.
“I also hope when people spot the sculpture it will transport them out of their everyday lives just for a moment.
“As someone said on Facebook: ‘It will just bring joy to me every time I pass it’.”
Mr Kay’s artistic repertoire features striking three-dimensional wildlife sculptures, including hares, herons, and deer.
He also takes on commissions for bespoke pieces.
His clients have included Thwaites Brewery, for whom he designed a commemorative sculpture of a dray wagon, and a Swiss hotelier, who commissioned a stag and hind for his boutique hotel in the Crans-Montana Alps of Switzerland.
Mr Kay said he aims to capture the ‘moment’ of an animal, such as when a hind, hears a noise and looks up.
He said: “I aim to keep the sculptures minimal, using as little steel as possible while still depicting the skeleton, the musculature, and the sinews of the creature and getting that sense of life into it.”