These jaw-dropping sand sculptures on Britain’s beaches are part of an amazing legacy lasting nearly 100 years between one man and his grandson.

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With uncanny likenesses to the people and places they represent, from Russel Crowe’s Gladiator to a working burger bar, these works make Mark Anderson and late grandfather Fred Darrington the UK’s best ever sand artists.

Mark’s stunningly intricate recreation of Windsor Castle even managed to turn the Queen’s head when she viewed his spectacular masterpiece in Weymouth.

Their epic story began in the early 1920s when creative Fred started sculpting on Weymouth beach – continuing until his late 80s.

As a young boy grandson Mark Anderson helped during the summer holidays and later became Fred’s apprentice before taking over the family tradition.

“We have been part of the beach for a long time, it is about keeping the beach as traditional as possible,” said Mark, aged 44.

“The families who return here love it here. The beach is one of the best features in the UK.”

Fred was 11 when his family moved from Andover to Weymouth, and three years later he left school to work in his father’s army surplus store.

The teenager later secured an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer but during his free time he went to the beach to sculpt.

His art became such a popular attraction the local council offered Fred a permanent pitch where he was able to make bigger sculptures on a 24ft by 24ft plot near the promenade.

And to make the sand he was using wet – a crucial feature of sand sculpting – he had to haul 55-gallon giant buckets of sea water up from the shore.

His younger brothers Michael and Peter became ‘hatters’ and collected money from appreciative passers-by.

And pioneering a new trend in his work – Fred was the first sculptor ever to paint his sandy works after wanting to make his replica King Kong look more realistic.

Using camouflage chalk from his father’s shop he coated the sand, giving it a layer to which he could apply paint.

Other coloured favourites were the Loch Ness Monster and a derby-winning horse.

It would take him a whole week to complete a sculpture, which would last another week before the elements ruined it.

“He would look in the paper and see what was popular and re-produce works around that,” said Mark.

In 1933 Fred moved to London to work for Rolls Royce and be near to his future wife Violet.

But despite being over 100 miles from the Dorset coast, determined Fred travelled to Weymouth whenever he could to sculpt and asked friends to collect the money and keep the site tidy while he was away.

When World War Two broke out Fred moved with his wife Violet to Esher in Surrey.

Sadly the beach became out of bounds due to the threat of German invasion so he was unable to make his regular visits.

But at the end of the war Fred returned to Weymouth when possible and in 1963 became a full time sculptor, spending the summer months at the beach and returning to his family in the autumn.

Then in 1969 his daughter Carol moved to the seaside resort with her young family, including four-year-old Mark.

“My earliest memories are growing up around him, watching him doing those great things,” he said.

When Mark was 11 he started helping his grandfather during the summer holidays, collecting water from the sea, picking up the money thrown from tourists on the promenade, making tea and selling postcards.

It was not for another 11 years and following a catering course and a stint as an investment banker did Mark realise he wanted to follow in his grand father’s footsteps full-time.

“I was 22, unemployed and staying with my grandparents and writing down what I wanted to do,” he said.

“I wanted to be outside, creative and able to travel. One day it dawned on me all those things were what my grandfather was doing so I went and asked to be his apprentice.”

That was in 1988 and after a few weeks Fred changed the sign to ‘Sand Sculptures by FG Darrington & Grandson’.

“He would just let me get on with it and then give me tips, I was not being force fed,” added Mark.

The pair continued to sculpt as a team and even travelled to Canada for the World Sand Sculpting Championships in 1992 where Fred was given a life time achievement award.

Fred eventually retired in 1996, aged 86, following a stroke, and sadly died five years later aged 91.

Mark continues to create large sculptures in the same spot and his art is commissioned by companies across the country.

In June he recreated Windsor Castle to mark the Queen and Prince Phillip’s visit to the seaside resort.

The 9ft high by 140ft square sandcastle took five men 300 hours to sculpt and the Prince took great pleasure pointing out the room where he had his morning cup of tea.

“It was a great honour to meet the Queen,” Mark commented.

His grandfather also met royalty during his lifetime as a sand artist and often chose the Royals as his subjects to sculpt.

In 1988 when Princess Anne opened the Deep Sea Adventure museum in Weymouth Fred recreated the Titanic to mark the occasion.

Little has changed with Technique since the 1920s, but Mark does use an easier process called ’soft pack’. It involves building up layers of sand in wooden containers then taking the edging away and sculpting into the block.

He also has a tap, so there is no need to lug buckets of water from the sea like his granddad.

Eventually Mark hopes to have a family and pass on his skills to his own offspring the tradition to continue their amazing family tradition.

Words by Lucy Tatchell

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