HOT on the heels of Bristol’s Gromit trail, a Somerset town is set to launch its own treasure hunt using an iconic landmark as its inspiration.
Burnham’s lighthouse trail will see 32 replicas of the town’s famous beach structure scattered across the area throughout the summer.
They are being painted by local artists, schools and community groups after Paul Plume, aged 47, of Grange Avenue, Highbridge, came up with the idea to build them.
Visitors to the area will be able to buy maps to follow a trail of the lighthouses through Burnham, Highbridge, Brent Knoll and Brean.
The money will go to cancer charity Petal, set up after Christine Woodberry, of Highbridge furniture business Woodberry Brothers and Haines, died of the disease in 2008. It is a cause close to Mr Plume’s heart – he is currently being treated for lung cancer.
He said: “That’s partly why I started it up. Being as mad as I am, I can’t sit around and do nothing, and Petal as a charity is also running from our factory.
“It all started back in November when I was talking to a girl in our local store about the Gromit trail and she said we should have something similar here
“The response has been brilliant. The artists have done a fantastic job with them.”
The project was partly set up in partnership with art group Highbridge And Burnham Artists (HABA) while the models’ roofs are moulded in fibreglass by Jim Veamcombe.
The lighthouses will be launched on May 3 at The Lighthouse Inn in Highbridge Road, before being auctioned for charity at the end of the summer.
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