Towering achievement

A TOWERING drawing created by a local artist will literally cover a large part of the historic Tower of London while restoration work is carried out during the next few years. Rydal Hanbury of Salisbury Avenue, St Albans, won a competition to have her c

A 'TOWERING' drawing created by a local artist will literally cover a large part of the historic Tower of London while restoration work is carried out during the next few years.

Rydal Hanbury of Salisbury Avenue, St Albans, won a competition to have her charcoal drawing depicting the history of the building blown-up to a dramatic 90-foot canvas to cover the east face of the White Tower.

The original 215cm x 115cm sketch took her around six weeks to complete and includes ravens, beefeaters and armour, along with the royal princes Edward V and his brother Richard Duke of York, who are thought to have been murdered in the tower in the 15th Century.

Rydal, aged 50, also drew inspiration from St Albans Abbey for the drawing.

She explained: "When the pilgrims arrived in St Albans they couldn't see the abbey. Then they went through Waxhouse Gate and got this 'wow' moment as they were suddenly face to face with the abbey, and that's the image I used for the tower."

She said people get the same striking impression when walking through the arch which leads to the White Tower where her drawing is draped.

Rydal, who has lived in St Albans for 13 years and is married with two children, originally trained to be a nurse because her father dissuaded her from following her ambition to become an artist.

But when she turned 40 she decided to take the plunge and follow her dream.

She gained a degree in the subject from the University of Herts and she is currently studying at the prestigious Prince's Drawing School in London where she secured a place in the face of stiff competition.

The drawing was unveiled to the public and national press in all its glory on this month.

For more information about Rydal and her work visit www.rydalhanbury.com