Inspired by Beryl Cook

Inspired by Beryl Cook

24 March 2026

The four life-sized Beryl Cook sculptures that are located around Plymouth have been more popular than we could have hoped for since they were installed. They've created some great selfie moments too! As we seek a planning permission extension to keep them in place until at least 2029, here's more about the paintings that inspired them.

Sailor Sculpture

Inspired by Sailors and Seagulls, 1970s

Sailors and Seagulls

Four sailors on leave look out over the sea along Plymouth’s sweeping foreshore in this painting full of character. Beryl Cook walked her dogs every day on The Hoe (can you see the little one with its red ball on the left hand side?), but instead of turning her eye to the sea for inspiration as generations of artists in the South West had done and continue to, she revelled in Plymouth’s places and its people at work and play. She often painted sailors socialising and relaxing at the pub and was fascinated by their uniforms. As a naval town, Plymouth had many to inspire her.

Two people and their dogs sat with the Beryl Cook sailor sculpture

Bowler Sculpture

Inspired by Sabotage, 1970s

Sabotage by Beryl Cook

One of Cook’s most well-known works, Sabotage humorously captures a moment of playful disruption in a lively, everyday setting. True to Cook’s signature style, the three figures are bold, rounded and full of personality as a one of them gently prods her competitor to put her off her throw while she casts a cheeky glance at us. Cook celebrated ordinary people with warmth and wit and a number of her paintings highlight female camaraderie. Sabotage reflects her broader fascination with social scenes, exaggeration, and the joy found in small acts of rebellion.

Two women with the Beryl Cook bowler sculpture

Ruby Venezuela Sculpture

Inspired by Tom Dancing, 1976

Tom Dancing by Beryl Cook

The back bar of the Lockyer Tavern was a well-known LGBTQ social space in Plymouth and from 1974-1977 Cook made several paintings of it. This lively scene shows a blue-suited landlord dancing with Brian Pearce who performed as drag queen Ruby Venezuela. Many of the Tavern’s regulars look on in amusement. Not long after this painting was created a change in management forced the pub’s LGBTQ patrons to leave. The building was then demolished in 1980. No known photographs of the interior or its ground floor plans exist which makes Cook’s paintings of it even more important.

Two women stand with the Beryl Cook dancer sculpture

Shopper Sculpture

Inspired by The Market, 1978

The Market by Beryl Cook

This scene from Plymouth’s Market highlights Cook’s fascination with people shopping and also documents the fashions of the day. She painted markets, butcher’s stalls, car boot sales, auction rooms and department stores and her shopping scenes overflow with abundance. Cook often went to the market with her daughter-in-law early in the morning to see the vegetables that were on display. She was known to shop at the bric-a-brac stalls, finding cheap treasures that she kept in her studio for inspiration.

Two women standing with the Beryl Cook shopper sculpture

If you haven't yet seen them, why not check out the sculptures yourself? If you take and post any photos make sure you tag them with #Beryltrail. You can download our handy map below.

If you'd like some extra entertainment and laughs while you're looking at them, our Beryl Cook Comedy Tours led by Suzy Bennett includes the sculptures on its itinerary. Tours run on Saturdays until 30 May 2026 (10.30am start) and tickets can be booked online.