A NEW art trail launched to captivate the imaginations of youngsters has been launched across Barnsley’s six ‘Principal Towns’.

This immersive new trail, featuring six creatures, including a lion prowling in Royston and a phoenix soaring through Goldthorpe.

A kestrel in Hoyland, unicorn in Wombwell, mythical bird in Penistone and rabbit in Cudworth will also be on display.

It’s the innovative work of artist Patrick Murphy and poet and writer Ian McMillan.

Each icon can be found in a central location within its respective town, ready to be revealed by scanning a unique QR code with your smartphone camera or AR-enabled device.

Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “Whoever thought they would ever see a unicorn making its stately way along Wombwell High Street or a lion prowling through Royston Wells?

“This wonderful new art trail offers a truly original way to unlock and experience the story of our towns.

“We hope everyone will have fun exploring Barnsley’s towns and learning about their past, present and future in a new and interesting way.”

Patrick added: “hen we were conducting our community engagement workshops for A Walk Around Town, we were amazed to uncover so much information about various elements of each town’s history.

“One thing that stood out was that most of the towns had town crests which featured animals, and those that didn’t, like Cudworth and Goldthorpe, had strong ties with the animals we have chosen.”