GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) unveils mythical statue at St Ives station

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The statue of the Mermaid of Zennor has been placed at St Ives Train Station

Great Western Railway (GWR) has unveiled a statue of the mythical Mermaid of Zennor at St Ives train station.

Along with four others dotted about the GWR network, the temporary sculpture is designed to encourage families to explore the landscapes behind the region's myths and legends.

A new book of the railway's Legend Land series, Line to Legend Land, has also been published, featuring a reissue of 11 myths and a new chapter written by former Poet Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo.

Paul Gentleman, a spokesperson for GWR, said: "The statues are going to be around for the next few weeks so that people get out... and hopefully explore the countryside around and find out where these stories originated from."

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The Mermaid of Zennor was etched into a pew at St Senara's Church in Zennor more than 400 years ago

Visitors can find the five mythical statues across network - The Giants of Avon Gorge at Bristol Temple Meads, Excalibur at Castle Cary Station, The Faeries of Pennard Castle at Swansea Station, and the Red Dragon at Cardiff Central Station.

'The Line to Legend Land' was a series of 24 pamphlets written 100 years ago, and included tales of folklore, myths, and legends from across the South West.

In a social media post for the rail network, Morpurgo said: "By retelling these ancient stories – including the addition of my own, The Miracle Dolphin of Mevagissey – we aren't just looking back at the past; we are ensuring that the giants, dragons and mermaids of our heritage continue to live on in the hearts of children today."

Jeni Woolcock, collections manager at the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, which launches its own myths and legends exhibition at the end of this month, said: "Cornwall is absolutely prolific with myths and legends there are so many of them. I really do love the Mermaid of Zennor. I also love Cherry of Zennor which is another myth about a young woman. I think I'm quite often drawn to those where women are not represented in a way that I'm particularly happy with, so I resonate with those because I really want to give them a voice and see things from their perspective," she said.